LatinosUSA

the TV was blaring political

crap again

somewhere in the background

always the same fear

inducing story

but she didn’t need

the political turmoil in the

country and the world at large

to make her feel afraid

She looked at

Leonardo, her turtle

through the glass of the tank

«Soon enough we’ll be evicted.

I’ve seen homeless people

with dogs and cats and even

birds, but never

a turtle. What the hell am I gonna

do with you, Leo?»

Perched on top of its wet

rock, the turtle

looked at her and not at

her at the same time

There was no fear, no anxiety,

no trouble in its eyes

it simply existed

was alive

It just was

«You’re just too dumb

to get it,» she said

got up

and went in the other room

to turn off the TV

«You’re just too dumb

to get it,» she said to her

own reflection in the

black mirror of the TV screen

Right

now back to playing the

electric guitar

in her empty room

laying in bed

drinking the cheapest

whiskey

attempting to play with

herself and failing

because of depression

giving up

drinking some more

eventually falling asleep

One time Leonardo showed up

into her dream

as a guitar with a turtle’s

carapace

and it said to her, «Too dumb

to get it?

Hah! Says she who can’t even

live in the

now

and constantly tries to

be someone else somewhere else

in another time.

Dumbest shit anyone can do, really.»

If only she could

remember

that dream