An Excerpt from The Virgin Mountain
From The Virgin Mountain, by Roberto Echavarren, translated by Donald Wellman and the author.
A doll of rough wood
carved with a knife,
dressed in sky blue
red flowers with yellow center
and yellow with red center,
stars that are flowers,
she even has panties, a small square
of cloth glued to the perineum,
shawl with embroidered edging
in zigzag, X, Greek Y,
orange and green head strap,
around her neck and that of her son
light green trimming,
one foot in the air,
the leg raised
takes a step.
•••
The rainbow, is it a sign?
asked the enraptured English tourist;
yes, the Tarahumara woman answered:
it’s a sign that it might rain, or not.