Tia Was Taken by One of Trujillo’s Men
si Jefe.
I will swallow my words
and choke on ones like
libertad.
si Jefe.
I will leave behind my children
to satisfy your need
for my knees
to be grounded
en sal.
si Jefe.
I will let you use my blood as wine,
the fear in my eyes as pornography,
and my weak limbs as branches to
amarrar.
si Jefe.
Me dejaré perder
en campos de caña
para que mi república
no tenga que hacerlo.
Lidabel A. Avila is a senior English (creative writing) major at SUNY Geneseo with previous publications in the college’s MiNT Magazine, Iris Magazine, and Gandy Dancer. She mostly works on poetry connected to her Afro-Caribbean background, challenges with mental health and identity, and relationships with herself and others. However, she also indulges in speculative fiction writing. When not writing, Lidabel can be found practicing new drawing styles or deep-diving on the internet about scientific theories.