Anima on the Lighthunt

My Mixtec silhouette folds into a sagacious mouth,

turns zancudo, between butterfly vertices

black-bird, nose-leaf and tornadoes

eclipse, rides inside a train moth-sucking burst of pestañas,

where dead stars muscle savage

carry my nucleus Humans fuse with Cocijo-beetles,

Sleep is invaded by the first firelight, wings of thunder

where god-particles traverse beneath their elytra

smoke interiors Darwin, escucha: el tráfico

I visit bat ancestress in 200 AD, fragmenta mi ciudadanía en veinticinco aortas,

her nectar drinks orchids at night, me transformo en raíz de tránsito

//

Hermelinda Hernandez Monjaras was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and identifies as both an indígena and an undocumented poet of Zapotecan descent. Her work explores immigration, identity—including her Zapotecan heritage and the challenges of being a DACA recipient—and trauma, using diverse artistic and visual elements. Raised in Fresno, California, she earned an MFA in creative writing.