Conditional

Natasha Felix (Brazil)
translated by Laura Cesarco Eglin

If I burst out laughing, it’s because I hear a good joke. If I have
insomnia, it’s because I calculate the next debts. If I cry, it’s
because I deliver my son to the dust. If I’m Kianda, it’s because I
choose the right heads. If the police arrive, it’s because I have to
cover your eyes. While I wait for them to go by, my tongue does
three rounds. Then, the party, maybe. If I said we never had to
dance, it’s because I lied. If they approach — slowly, their mouths
full of teeth, if they come close, crushing but not enough, it’s
because I can take my hands from your eyes. I don’t uncover. I let
the sweat run.