Attack
with ease…
tigers are sweet
in comparison.

Blocking squinty eyes,
shooting darts that fly
through the mind.
Throwing blood-flavored words

like swords deep into my broken heart.
I know not
how you can be
so vicious?

While I remain─
Silent,
Nada,
throughout the attack.

Wandering, wondering, how…?
In my mind, the words overflow
like faucets with broken handles
but from my mouth─

silence.

Blocked lumps in my throat burn
through to my stomach. A bottomless pit extinguishes me.
But does not crush,
for I know, those precious lost words will

ignite and come to life
in their own time,
even if just
in my mind.

Sylvia Sánchez Garza holds a B.A. in English, an M.A. in School Administration, and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies. Her Coming of Age novel, Cascarones, about the cultures and traditions of growing up as a Mexican American in South Texas, has won several awards.