Ivonne Gordon Carrera Andrade

translated by Cindy Rinne

 

Horchata

En la horchata de luna, descubro un espejo ciego.

Un pájaro vuela verticalmente. El cielo tiene sed de reflejos.

En la horchata de luna las pausas tienen paréntesis

suspendidos. El espejo es una hembra diluida

en el mar del asombro. En la horchata de luna,

la memoria nace sin dientes de leche.

En la horchata de la luna, armo el encantamiento.

Me detengo, me detengo tantas veces

que todo se desvanece. Me detengo y vuelvo

a retenerme en la horchata de luna, el sortilegio

me cautiva, me detengo, y dejo que el almíbar

me invada como horchata de luna.

Me detengo, me detengo tantas veces.

Y vuelvo a descubrirme en un espejo

con mil cuencas en los ojos. La mirada sirve

para rumorear sentidos y descubrir

el sabor a horchata y luna fresca.

Horchata

In the horchata of the moon, I discover a blind mirror.

A bird soars vertically. The sky is thirsty for reflection.

In the horchata of the moon, the pauses cocoon

in floating parenthesis. The mirror is a female diluted

in the sea of amazement. In the horchata of the moon,

there is a cupped memory tasted without milk teeth.

In the horchata of the moon, I build enchantment.

I return, I return so often

that I can drench myself. I stop and return.

I am restrained in the horchata of the moon, the spell

incenses me, I return and allow the syrup

to invade me like horchata of the moon.

Repeatedly, I stand still.

And I return to discover myself staring in a mirror

with a thousand eye sockets. The gaze serves

to doubt the senses and to discover

the taste of horchata and fresh squeezed moon.



 

“I love the word horchata, and thought it would be nice to write about a milky soft refreshing drink and juxtaposition with the moon. So the moon is a mirror of my eyes and horchata through it soft milkiness reflects me and the world.” —Ivonne Gordon Carrera Andrade


Ivonne Gordon Carrera Andrade was born in Ecuador. She is a poet, literary critic, and literary translator. She has a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature, and a University Professor in her field of research. She has published eight books of poetry, a book of critical essays on Gabriela Mistral. Holds a Fulbright Scholar award. Has won several important prizes among them the Jorge Carrera Andrade Poetry Award in Ecuador, First Prize Poetry International Contest, Hespérides. www.ivonnegordon.com

Cindy Rinne creates art and writes in San Bernardino, CA. She is Poet in Residence for the Neutra Institute Gallery and Museum, Los Angeles, CA. A Pushcart nominee. Cindy is the author of several books: Letters Under Rock with Bory Thach, (Elyssar Press), Mapless with Nikia Chaney (Cholla Needles Press), Moon of Many Petals (Cholla Needles Press), Her poetry appeared or is forthcoming in: Anti-Herion Chic, Unpsychology Magazine, MORIA, several anthologies, and others. www.fiberverse.com