Poetry

Baja Rain


crack of thunder unleashed the deluge
voided with such ferocity
boomeranged from paved over
pooled into rivers of latte-coloured torrents;
palm tree trunks swayed like matchsticks
their crowns shook rock-n-roll style
beatle haircuts, bangs in need of a good trim
tempo reverberated on corrugated metal roofs
clatter reminiscent of Caribbean steel band.

morning after, sweaty, clammy queue at la llantera
perforated tire after flattened tire heaved onto apparatus
nails, spikes, screws washed into streets
extracted with pliers
plugged, like bottle of wine corked
pump harnessed, air inflated
hissing sound antithetically conjures up breath sucked out.

felled mangos litter gardens, bruised skin expels sweet
reek of carcasses in shallow, sandy graves
sea breeze gust disperses, captures fish smell
shrieking gulls, redolent of vultures, bottle pickers scrounge
shredded algae hurled onto beaten up beach shore
clouds, like ship masts, vaporize over horizon
over the edge, as though earth was flat
Baja sun rotates into magnetic field
dragon spewing fire, undulating steam
– incubator for malaria, dengue fever, death.

A lawyer by profession, Barbara Janusz has published poetry, short stories, essays and editorials in various literary journals, magazines and anthologies. She lived as an expatriate in Baja California, Mexico in the 1990's and now resides in the Crowsnest Pass of Alberta's Rocky Mountains.