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