Androgynous and very beautiful,

they list your qualities among those others: patron saint

of healers and of fish, master (and mistress?) of rivers.

Doctor, hunter, fisherman, fisher woman or both,

god or goddess of the gatherers, one who lives in water

and on land.

 

We prepare your meal: red snapper with watercress, squash,

sweet potato, Mandarin oranges, sweet wine and almond oil.

We dress for dinner in your blues, yellows, whites. Adorn ourselves

with shells and beads that alternate dark green, a Prussian blue

or coral pink.

 

Your queer nature, never spoken now. Yet we know Yemayá,

finding you beautiful, took you to the depths of the sea.

Once you knew the mysteries of that place, she

had to cut out your tongue to prevent your telling them.

Today, blessed your sex,

 

you speak with her mouth, move with her skirts like waves

in possession’s dance. Blue green your color. Friday

and every 24th your days. Queer Inle, your children

discrete and studious, you impatient still. Waiting

for your people to pronounce your name.