Alicia Viguer-Espert
★ ★ ★ ★
POETRY
Image by Annie Spratt
Autumn’s Lesson
Light lands
over the space between pines
and playing children
squatting over a wounded lizard
moving tail cut-off who knows how.
The younger freckled one picks up
a couple of gilt leaves, tears a sliver
of sun between her fingers
stained with red geraniums
and lizard’s blood.
I sit next to the child now crying
with discontent learning about
the 6th Commandment
for the first time.
Shades of Light
The unrestrained light of August,
eraser of contours,
iron of imperfections
departs.
In its blinding luminosity
fire from summer heat
flattens the body’s clefts.
Splendor attracts desire,
in a rush kisses burn fast
without details
or explanations.
September arrives
fragrant with new apples.
Behind olive trees,
made of dust and silver,
shadows enter the eye
as the sun arch lowers into the sea.
I’ve been waiting
for these ripe grapes,
these crowned pomegranates,
announcements from dry leaves ready to dance
with Cezanne’s Quince, Apples and Pears’ colors.
Fall returns,
like I do,
to nuances of red wine,
the hint of your eyelashes on my cheek,
slow growing roses enduring perfume,
promises of an intimate conversation
tasting your lingering kisses,
in that honey light.
Born and raised in Valencia, Spain, Alicia Viguer-Espert travelled the world, learned English as an adult and on her first writing attempt, (2017) was the winner of the San Gabriel Valley Poetry Festival Book with her chapbook To Hold a Hummingbird. In 2021 Four Feather Press published her chapbook Out of the Blue Womb of the Sea. She writes about relationships to nature, identity, language, home, and soul. Her work has been published in national and international journals, anthologies, and magazines. She was selected as one of the “Top 39 L.A. Poets of 2017,” one of “Ten Poets to Watch on 2018,” in the Special Edition” by Spectrum Publications, and “Editor’s Choice” by Panoply in 2022. Alicia is a 2019 and 2020 Pushcart nominee.
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In Autumn’s Lesson, I like the last-minute turn toward the Sixth Commandment. And in the other, how light changes with the season. Lovely work.
I didn’t notice that the comment was anonymous. Catherine Gonick