Fall of the Toborochi
The
mighty toborochi tree lives life upside down
Showing
her delicate pink flowers in fall and winter
As
she gradually loses her leaves, then regowns
While
hummingbirds sip her sweet nectar treats.
When
her leaves are gone, the blossoms remain
Covering
the ground with fresh pink flower snow.
Her
belly bulges with the pregnant goddess Araverá
Hiding
inside from her enemies, the spirits of darkness.
The
hummingbird god, Colibri, awaits their marriage,
The
cold winter rain failing to cool his ardent passion.
But
his lovely Araverá is trapped inside, never to be free
Though
their son will be born to exact revenge.
Each
fall, Araverá returns to this world in the flowers
Which
fall like pink tears from the towering toborochis
But
first, hummingbirds come to drink their sweetness
And
to remind us that true love never really dies.
STEVEN W. BAKER
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