Black Mirror

As the Sun sets on the Ucayali river, I see my

reflection on its dark rippled surface. Suddenly,

this view is broken by the undulating curves of

an anaconda making its way into the depths.

Its wet scales, glistering in the Sun's last rays,

thrust and plunge, shattering the water's black

mirror into fleeting golden cracks. The creeping

muddy river soon covers over the late afternoon

tint. Feint solar reflections unravel in the dark water

like a golden serpent unwinding from its black mate.

Eduardo Villanes

2001