Two Poems by Beulah Vega

Minisonnets

I.
A door held, locks
before all enter.

In due time 
I will get my turn.
If I am silent and
learn to turn raw
brown skin white.
learn to mimic 
learn to
suffocate brown
from my tongue.
extinguish name,
family, heritage.

The door is not
colorblind.

II.
The table would shatter
before it could expand

Accidentally
Filled. That spot
my one chance
uprooted, tossed
another brown weed 
cut. how do you hug
your people so tight
while accepting
our stolen goods?
while selling us
lies?

More chairs won’t fix
the broken table.

III.
Smothering my dreams
can’t set you free.

Properties of a Ceramic Doll

strong, pretty, expensive, frilly, long-lasting, 
brittle-

Brittle?

hairline fracture
not caught before
the kiln erupts
into full
seams of
spidery 
weakness 
hiding below
cracking glaze
rosy cheeks.

soft impact
full break
wait for an 
epoxy cure
wait carefully
wait gently
for brittle
was molded 
into her nature
like her smile
like the single tear
frozen
on a flawlessly
flawed face.

brittle
always brittle
especially 
when
whole.