British Lady
by Ari Ochoa Petzold
Don’t sell your voice to the witch of the sea
my sweet, darling, dear.
You walk so oddly comfortable in that gown
the doctor says it’s unsound.
Doesn’t the crinoline feel like a cage?
Isn’t the wig hard to balance in your head?
I would not name the volcano on you,
as the princess had faced rejection.
But I have to wonder if the powder in your cheeks
is shame instead of make-up.
I shall remind you Elizabeth killed herself
with white paint. Do not confuse it with a salve.
You dream of a magical island:
castles, witches, and tea. Riches, stolen.
Where kings and queens
live. Kill them!
My british lady you’ll never be, but bathed
in tea as we shower in champurrado.
Na: 1. La Malinche is the name of a Volcano in México which coincidentally is a nickname of the famous Malitzin who a translator to Hernán Cortez and princess of Painla was. Even if the public opinion of her is mixed, there is still the derogatory term “Malinchista” to talk about traitors of the country.
2. Champurrado is a mexican beverage derived from the Atole (another beverage) which sometimes is served with tamales.
Ari Ochoa Petzold (they/xe) is a Mexican-Venezuelan genderfluid writer who currently lives in México. They like dancing to old music and history. In their free time you can find xem trying to coerce their friends to participate in another of their crazy projects. Find more of xyr work in the Sea Glass Magazine, Hooligan Mag and at Instagram in @Ari_gibberish.