Colour

With a special shout out to Lisa Martens

landing in Guatemala
her uber driver
excited about Denny’s
all day breakfast —
if he only knew

here is quite fine
let’s chill
listen to the music —
distrust in her eyes
distrust in mine

walking in Antigua
she’s invisible
an American tourist
giving instructions
to locals in Spanish

café patrons
think she works here
she asks him for sex
jokingly perhaps
he quickly runs away

she tells me her headache
is always and never
it moves — is real
never in one spot
now at her other temple

I wonder where
she belongs — not native
tourists unaware
she too is a tourist
despite her colour

no one cares
not even the Latinos —
please I can pretend?
am I not exotic ethnic
to their fake smiles?

I hold her in her panic
I’m here with you now
there’s no need to split
yourself ready to be sold
for a few pesos.