Arnoldo García

Stopping

I have stopped

fighting my English

garbling my Spanish

denouncing the Aztecs

ignoring my Purépecha tongue

on which war rages

and rage cries unbroken

I am a polygamist

married to many languages

with many more lovers

I am faithful

to all my words

in any language

in any land

on any body

my people invented french kissing

we stick our tongue in your mouth

to taste and desire every dictionary

lust translators interpret

the same dream

in so many dusts

in so many mouths

our lips the shock troops

our desire to subjugate your tongue

by any verb necessary

your ears fall

and your body follows

and your imagination hobbled

speak in tongues but don't mumble

vomit doves and poison syllables

I speak out, denounce and debate against myself

I am split in three

and my tongue

binds my wounds

and my tongue

heals my bones

and laps up

the water from your body

My tongue drills

endlessly into your ears

guaguanco on the shell of your being

a human vibe

to turn you against yourself

that garbles

my ways

mimics

and makes a mockery

of the root

of a different world

sound