Yellow Mama Archives II

Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal
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Acuff, Gale
Ahern, Edward
Allen, R. A.
Alleyne, Chris
Andes, Tom
Arnold, Sandra
Aronoff, Mikki
Ayers, Tony
Baber, Bill
Baird, Meg
Baker, J. D.
Balaz, Joe
Barker, Adelaide
Barker, Tom
Barnett, Brian
Barry, Tina
Bartlett, Daniel C.
Bayly, Karen
Beckman, Paul
Bellani, Arnaav
Berriozabal, Luis Cuauhtemoc
Beveridge, Robert
Blakey, James
Burke, Wayne F.
Burnwell, Otto
Campbell, J. J.
Cancel, Charlie
Capshaw, Ron
Carr, Steve
Carrabis, Joseph
Centorbi, David Calogero
Christensen, Jan
Clifton, Gary
Cody, Bethany
Costello, Bruce
Coverly, Harris
Crist, Kenneth James
Cumming, Scott
Davie, Andrew
Davis, Michael D.
Degani, Gay
De Neve, M. A.
Dillon, John J.
Dominguez, Diana
Dorman, Roy
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Doyle, John
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Ebel, Pamela
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Fortier, M. L.
Fowler, Michael
Garnet, George
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Greenberg, KJ Hannah
Grey, John
Hagerty, David
Hardin, Scott
Held, Shari
Hicks, Darryl
Hivner, Christopher
Hoerner, Keith
Hohmann, Kurt
Holt, M. J.
Holtzman, Bernice
Hopson, Kevin
Hubbs, Damon
Irwin, Daniel S.
Jabaut, Mark
Jermin, Wayne
Jeschonek, Robert
Johns. Roger
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Karl, Frank S.
Kempe, Lucinda
Kennedy, Cecilia
Keshigian, Michael
Kitcher, William
Kompany, James
Koperwas, Tom
Larsen, Ted R.
Le Due, Richard
Leotta, Joan
Lester, Louella
Lubaczewski, Paul
Lucas, Gregory E.
Luer, Ken
Lukas, Anthony
Lyon, Hillary
Mannone, John C.
Martinez, Richard
McConnell, Logan
McQuiston, Rick
Middleton, Bradford
Milam, Chris
Mladinic, Peter
Mobili, Juan
Mullins, Ian
Myers, Jen
Nielsen, Ayaz Daryl
Nielsen, Judith
Onken, Bernard
Owen, Deidre J.
Park, Jon
Parker, Becky
Pettus, Robert
Plath, Rob
Prusky, Steve
Radcliffe, Paul
Reddick, Niles M.
Reutter, G. Emil
Robson, Merrilee
Rollins, Janna
Rose, Brad
Rosmus, Cindy
Ross, Gary Earl
Rowland, C. A.
Saier, Monique
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Slota, Richelle Lee
Smith, Elena E.
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Steven, Michael
Stoler, Cathi
Stoll, Don
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Swartz, Justin
Taylor, J. M.
Temples. Phillip
Traverso Jr., Dionisio "Don"
Turner, Lamont A.
Tustin, John
Tyrer, DJ
Varghese, Davis
Verlaine, Rp
Viola, Saira
Waldman, Dr. Mel
Weibezahl, Robert
Weil, Lester L.
White, Robb
Wilhide, Zachary
Williams, E. E.
Williams, K. A.
Wilsky, Jim
Wiseman-Rose, Sophia
Woods, Jonathan
Young, Mark
Zackel, Fred
Zelvin, Elizabeth
Zeigler, Martin
Zimmerman, Thomas
Zumpe, Lee Clark

Rely on the Moon

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

 

I rely on the moon

to calm my teary eyes.

From where I stand, I see

the white moon turning blue.

 

The moon is my present,

my gift from the heavens.

In my deepest despair

I could not live without

 

its presence. The moon works

on my eyes. It does not

hurt them like the sun does.

I prefer evening. Day

 

and its sun wears on me.

The moon leaves me drowsy.

I can always count on

it as well as the stars.




Trembling Shadows


 


by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal


 


 


The trembling shadows


search for the root cause


of such trembling; left naked


with cold hard facts, they


go on trembling at all hours.


The lives of shadows are like


cigarette ash, stinking if


left unemptied. The trembling


shadows, transparent as


silence, feel twilight’s claws,


on a moonless and starless


night. The shadows retreat,


trembling, as the dark sky falls.



Crawling at Night

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

 

Crawling at night,

crawling out of my hole.

The stars summoned me

to feel the fresh air.

 

I climbed to the sky,

left my footprints on the

ground along with my howl.

 

I searched with my mind

and floated so high.

I searched for joy

in my ragged clothes

and in newfound hope.

 

I needed this life

to go through all these

pathways, even if I

had to walk with my hands,

crawling, bloody, with

pain, with all my strength.

 

Night was comforting.

The stars above showered

with me with a rain of light.

This old man felt so young.



In Your Garden

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

 

To be a flower

in your garden,

to be your shady

tree, either of

those two things

I would like to be

for you. You could

wet my petals with

water or with the rain

that comes less

frequently. Let the

wind shake me and

in autumn gather my

fallen leaves.




 

The Past Is Over

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

The past is

over and

then you die.

 

You think back

on the dream

that was life.

 

No longer

here. The world

goes on and

 

on. Life is

like this. I

wonder if

 

all those who

die are not

really dead.

 

Will they talk

to us as

spirits? Will

 

they float out

to sea as

morning fog?


 

Looking at the Sea

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

Without you

the sea is just water to me.

I am out

of sorts. No one can soothe me.

 

It is just

water. Without you, I am not

on my best of moods.

 

Where can I

go? The waves in

the sea call to me.

 

I close my eyes.

I put my head down.

The sea is looking at me.

What am I going to do?

 

I open one eye.

Looking at the sea,

it smiles at me as I drown,

 

feeling anonymous.



Twilight Zone Kind of Days

 

by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal

 

 

It is one of those Twilight Zone

kind of days with the sun swallowed

up by grey, fluffy clouds. 2023

feels like 1980, with my hair long,

down below my shoulders, and

Van Halen blasting from the radio,

Everybody Wants Some. A green

Dodge Dart, with its windows

down all the way, provides the

sound. The brunette behind

the wheel smiles at me and blows

a kiss at me as she drives off

in a haste. KICKER, reads the plates

in black letters. I am transported

to those days, where I was literally

half-the-man I am now in weight

at least. My 80s do in my mind,

looks like I have hair to spare.

I brush a chunk out of my eyes

and drive down the road where

KICKER is only a distant memory

and the music switches back to

2023. Black Summer pumps out

of my radio, with Anthony, Flea,

John, and Chad making this

Twilight Zone the place to be.




Born in Mexico, Luis lives in California and works in Los Angeles. His latest poetry book, Make the Water Laugh, was published by Rogue Wolf Press. His poems online and in print have appeared in Blue Collar Review, Mad Swirl, and Yellow Mama Webzine.



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