by Mireya Perez
……………………..In 1960 “the butterflies,” the political
……………………..activists Mirabal sisters from the
……………………..Dominican Republic, were assassinated by
……………………..the order of Trujillo, “el jefe”.
……………………..Only Dedé survived.
Huita, huita niña
bark to plump blood
trumpet blooms borageous
to still pain of living
butterfly, Dedé
Ancahuita guards butterflies
gone Mate, Minerva, Patria
the broken bodies, the black car,
el jefe’s ire
las mariposas now one
Dedé to tell in Ancahuita refuge
Huita, huita, huita
*A common tree in the Dominican Republic, often used to mark a location
Mireya Perez-Bustillo, born in Colombia and raised in New York, writes poetry and fiction in Spanish and English. In her work she searches for that “other voice” breaking through entrapment and oppression, the fragile markers to unearth more hidden voices. Her work appears in Revista del Hada, Caribbean Review, Americas Review, Diosas en Bronce: Anthology of Colombian Women Writers, Vibe Viva, IRP Voices, among others. Her novel, Back to El Dorado, is forthcoming.