by Socorro Venegas, translated by Toshiya Kamei Thanos Pal nothing, nothing can be more bitter than the sea I carry inside, alone and blind, the ancient Oedipus sea groping me for all ages, when my blood wasn’t yet mine, when my skin grew on someone else’s skin when someone was breathing for me as I wasn’t yet born.— Xavier Villaurrutia The postmark told me the letter took only a week to reach me. Inside was a photo of Álvaro’s painting. On the back it read, “Come.” I stared

by Socorro Venegas, translated by Toshiya Kamei Serafima Lazarenko The girls left their homes very early. It was so early that the sun was still asleep and the roosters flapped their wings getting ready for their war song, the most powerful announcement. Sara is still inside her house, asleep. She’s dreaming of white lilies. The village streets are quiet, a full moon high up in the dark sky. The girls walk fast, with rebozos knotted around their shoulders, with bright eyes, l