Desierto

Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl

She had the most unusual name, different, but befitting. Her name was Desierto, which in English means desert. He had met her through a family friend, and like a magnet, he instantly clung to her, holding on for dear life. Although he thought he had fallen in love, he merely suffered from some hypnotic intoxication of some sort. He fooled himself into believing the carelessly-created-mirage of his mind.

Desierto's extreme emotions controlled the climate of her life; hers, as well as those in her proximity. Days came when her passions exceeded 120F, yet times of near-frostbite chills also permeated her existence. Although some thought of her as a wasteland, he witnessed the abundant miracles that flourished around her, which only strengthened the intoxicating trance.

Her cacti never appeared parched, despite her endlessly supplying him with her waters of life. He pushed her love to the limits, yet she endured the droughts. Her reptiles possessed the power to shed the old, while the Northern winds blew away the tragic past. Sadly, he lacked her same capacity to release, and hence, continually stomped on her serpent ways. Every night, her resilient lizards maintained the ability to survive below-zero heartache. Every morning, she prayed for the sun to melt the nightly ice sculptures he created. Despite the blazing acclamations of her amazing abilities, he proved unable to comprehend her magic. All the while, he beheld her talents in incomprehensible awe. The more he partook of her jícuri, the deeper he fell into a mind-altering spell.

Although this girl was a desert, she was not deserted. Allured by her magnetism, many organized pilgrimages to her lands. Like tumbleweed, only those able to withstand extremes managed to thrive, for a while, at least. To his misfortune, he could not handle the intensity found in Desierto. Ignorantly, he imagined that Desierto would live a life of solitude. His attempts to wipe out her existence became futile. Exhausted and dehydrated, he chose abandonment, holding in one hand, the disintegrating image of his man-made mirage.

First published in West of the Santa Ana and Other Sacred Places; Riot of Roses Publishing House, 2023.