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How to make love to your beloved when she grew from rape

By Sarah Maria Medina

Keep the fire like los hombres de fuego at the fire bed, even when you are a woman, especially when you are a woman. Learn to attend the fire, learn that breath between stones & flames lets the fire burn. Notice her breath, give her breath from your mouth, heated from your pink tongue. Let gracias roll inside your mouth, let it spill into hers. Down by the fireside, bring her a blanket, bring her many blankets. Lie beside her, smell of smoke pressed to your clothes. Turn your face to the night, look for constellations, trace them with your fingers. Let her see your fingers, let her notice that fingers circle sky, that not all fingers rape. Notice her constellations, trace the freckles that begin at her collarbone. Rest your mouth there, at the indentation of her throat, notice her voice as it becomes child. Brave her stories, cradle them in your palms. Your hands were carved for them. Let your tears wet the earth, the earth will hold you both. Turn to the sky, circle your arms around her strength, notice her breath. Attend the fire, give space to the fire, to the stones. Circle your fingers through her hair, weave her braids. Finger-ribbon another. Speak to her like you pray to the fire. Rub salvia between your fingertips, draw charred circles on her cheekbones. Speak until she follows the trail of your words, the trail of your breath. Speak to her ‘til her mouth softens, until the far distant look flees. Speak to her until she returns from her long exodus, her black pupils bright, mouth seeking. Speak to her like this many nights. Keep the ancestor fire there, burning, blankets turned down to earth, fingers weaving. Know there are many ways to make love to your woman.
 

Cómo hacerle el amor a tu amada cuando creció con violación

Mantén vivo el fuego como los hombres de fuego que cuidan la lumbre, aún siendo mujer, especialmente siendo mujer. Aprende a cuidar el fuego, aprende que un soplo entre las piedras y llamas permite al fuego arder. Observa su respiración, dale aliento de tu boca, calentado en tu lengua rosa. Que la palabra gracias ruede dentro de tu boca, derrámala en la suya. Abajo junto al fuego, llévale una cobija, llévale cien cobijas. Acuéstate al lado de ella, olor a humo pegado a tu ropa. Voltea tu cara hacia el cielo nocturno, busca constelaciones, trázalas con tus dedos. Deja que vea tus dedos, deja que vea que los dedos circulan el cielo, que no todos los dedos violan. Observa sus constelaciones, traza las pecas que comienzan en su clavícula. Descansa ahí tu boca, en la curva de su garanta, observa su voz al convertirse en niña. Aviéntate sus historias, mécelas en tus palmas. Tus manos fueron labradas para ellas. Deja que tus lágrimas mojen la tierra, la tierra las sostendrá a ambas. Voltea al cielo, rodea su fuerza con tus brazos, observa su respiración. Atiende el fuego, dale espacio al fuego, a las piedras. Circula tus dedos por su pelo, teje sus trenzas. Forma listones con tus dedos. Háblale como le rezas al fuego. Frota salvia entre las yemas de tus dedos, dibuja círculos de carbón en sus mejillas. Habla hasta que siga el sendero de tus palabras, el rastro de tu aliento. Háblale hasta que su boca se suavice, hasta que desaparezca su mirada distante. Háblale hasta que regrese de su largo éxodo, brillantes sus pupilas negras, boca buscando. Háblale así, noches consecutivas. Mantén el fuego ancestro ahí, ardiendo, cobijas volteadas hacia la tierra, dedos tejiendo. Conoce que hay muchas maneras de hacerle el amor a tu mujer.

Added: Friday, September 2, 2016  /  Used with permission. Translation by Adriana Toledano Kolteniuk.
Sarah Maria Medina
Photo by Cisco Dietz.

Sarah María Medina is a poet and a fiction/creative non-fiction writer from the American Northwest. Her writing has been published in Prelude, Poetry NW, The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database, Raspa Literary Journal, and elsewhere. Her work is also found in Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color (Nightboat Books, 2018), and Bettering American Poetry Vol. 2. She is an ARTIST UP Grant LAB recipient, a Jack Straw Writer, and the poetry editor at Winter Tangerine.

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