Annette Arkeketa-Rendon

e _

medicine-n-magic

at the end of the earth
medicine sat in her office
wishing she were home, close
to her people

laughing easily

“it’s wild onion season”

she thought

boiled meat, posole,

commodity cheese, canned peaches
fry bread... simple stuff,

she never dreamed she

would miss

the previous night

she had finished reading

a story written by one of

her peers,

funny sad

fortunately she didn’t grow

up in an alcohol infested home
like the writer reported

mom always said

“anyone can drink themselves

to death... doesn’t matter what

race they belong to... wasting talent
time...

it’s the smart ones who

rise and meet the demands

of their spirit

they are the ones

we can all be proud of..”

mom also cautioned medicine
about gossip and vulgar language

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