Migrating Birds

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by Mónica de la Torre
     Victor got a real sense of power
     from making his own raisins. He'd buy
     pounds and pounds of grapes and leave them to dry
     on the kitchen table.
     Theresa didn't want to hear about
     her ex-husband's cancer. Not on Father's Day.
     She took a train all night
     to have breakfast with her cousin.
     All Sunday she rode the train back.
     Once Martin's wife had left,
     he decided to take advantage of her space.
     He built a sauna where her closet was,
     sat there every morning,
     to read the paper and Buddha.
     One night Helga wore her prettiest dress,
     though she knew he wouldn't be there.
     She drank dry white, got drunk
     (she was on a diet), and fell down.
     Later he saw the holes in her pantyhose.
     María was usually bumping into
     furniture. Each time she got closer to what
     she wanted. "What do you want from me?"
     "Nothing," he replied, so she took off
     and felt like migrating birds. But many