The North American Review has a great translation up of Macario Matus’ “Binnizá.” This world of ocelot grandparents and fish brothers is vivid and green, welcoming in the depths of New York’s midwinter grays. I had no idea there were so many different Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico.

In flamenco dance, the hand movements are referred to as floreo. These are what I pictured in reading the line “your hands were comets crossing.” The Spanish word “floreo” comes from the Latin word for flower, and – in fencing and music – means a flourish.

In researching this etymology, I came across this example: “The flourish of the voice is the bridge to the tone changes.”

In orbit with her past and future selves, the dancer sweeps up time and twirls around it. The tone she takes with the universe teases the connection between her chakras, pulling upward and travelling up this axis. Flamenco is a dance of maturity. You need some life experience to really pull it off.