A Diego Rivera on Valencia Street

By Daisy Zamora

She enters preceded by the fragrance of roses,
lilies of the valley and carnations.

No one pays attention — an infernal buzzing
of voices & music
goes on and on and on
blasting our heads out
like a pile of bricks.

Smoke so dense everything
is gray & blurry,

but Spring erupts suddenly from her basket:

An explosion of greens,
vermilions, yellows, magentas,
orange and indigo,

a whole rainbow springing from her head,
blooming on top of her tightly braided
obsidian hair
as she walks
among the oblivious crowd
of the AMNESIA bar.