“Teacher’s Prayer” by R.A. Villanueva

R.A. Villanueva

TEACHER’S PRAYER

Blessed are you, maidens of the one hundred and eighty afternoons
You of the cough at the first inhale                 You of the cut
school for the seashore
You of the sequined nails, the powdered
eyes, the breeze of lilac and lavender
You of the still-open door
 
Blessed are you, child of the broken
heart, the half-healed ventricle
You, the chamber voice, the madrigal
lift, the harmony and hum                         You of the pink
You of the dark black ink
 
You of the grandmother’s abattoir
hidden among the exits of the New Jersey Turnpike
You backstroking Ophelias and #2 pencils
 
You of the boardwalk tattoo, of the snapping latex, of the pierced
tragus, of the soft cartilage                  You
of the essays in arabesques, the hearts above
the i’s, the diary left out on purpose, the origami messages,
the whispered consonants                        Pray for us
 
You who roll
your eyes in their painted sockets who
affix his last name to yours on your notebooks
Pray for us
 
You who can still pick and choose                     You
who manicure your faces full
of the spark and sweat of future days
Pray for us
 

from Rattle #24, Winter 2005
Tribute to Filipino Poets

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R.A. Villanueva: “I live in New York City, where every day itself is a poem.” (web)

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