Javier Zamora

 

Sonoran Song

Mom didn’t know, Dad didn’t know
            even if they’d run across fences
before, they didn’t foresee my knees
            crashing into cactus needles that night
one shoe slipped off. She says Coyote
            said I’ll carry him to your front door
myself, Pati. She didn’t know 110 degrees,
            saguaros, no compass to run
north when like Colorado River toads
            we slid under bushes—officers yelled
¡On your fucking knees! You couldn’t have
            known this could happen, Mom.
You couldn’t have. No es su culpa.
            No lo es.