by Lorraine Caputo

In these hours ere the dawn 
the hills & mountains 
are masked by fog 
 
the chanted song 
flickering candles 
 
of a procession 
parts the silence 
 
            after two years & more 
            the faithful gather 
 
hundreds tread the rain- 
slickened cobblestones 
 
to honor the Sorrowful Virgen 
  
swaddled babies in embraces 
an anciana on her grandson’s arms 
 
            after two years of deaths 
            two years of plague 
 
their song & prayers 
once more echo 
 
through these sleeping streets 
fading… fading 
 
a renewed shower  
washes the scent of those 
fallen rose petals  

Lorraine Caputo is a documentary poet, translator and travel writer. Her works appear in over 300 journals on six continents; and 20 collections of poetry — including On Galápagos Shores (dancing girl press, 2019) and Caribbean Interludes (Origami Poems Project, 2022). She journeys through Latin America, listening to the voices of the pueblos and Earth. Follow her travels at: www.facebook.com/lorrainecaputo.wanderer or https://latinamericawanderer.wordpress.com.