Una Limpia

Words by Christiane Williams-Vigil
Art by Suzy Gonzalez

Release onto yourself ritualistic cleansings.
The metamorphosis of herb to ash.
A reminder of our ties to divine nature.
From damp soil sprouted this plant.
Loved on by rain and ethereal stars.
Inhabit sacred smoke.
Let fire rise, and glare
into your dilating pupils.
They expand like black holes,
swallowing the galactic matter of your irises.
Part your lips.
With ancient swiftness,
it spills into every beating vein.
Permit the saturation of your soul.
The same connection as when boiling water
mixes with desert flowers.
Each breath is a heavy meditation.
Envelop your tongue with its rich flavors
and fall back into old spaces.
Inhale into yourself
knowledge of long with-held blessings.
And banish, with an exhale, all that would undo you.