At this time
Cecilio would be bleeding the cow:
he would say to her "quiet" with his nocturnal voice.
And Antonio, at this time, would be writing
"received" with his wobbly handwriting.
What would Luis be doing? Perhaps he would be helping
his youngest brother to add and subtract,
maybe he would be saying goodbye to his mother
caressing her hair with his hand.

(Cecilio, Antonio, Luis, conjectural names
for faces born of other faces)

Cecilio is black like his mother's skirt with flowers.
Antonio has acne and suffers on Saturdays
when he goes to a dance and sees a pretty girl.
Luis is tall and kind and still a virgin.

At this time
one of them looks to the South, where his sister
has lighted a candle. A buzzard
pecks his forehead. The other
seems to be singing, so open
is his mouth at this early hour. The same
in which the third one
(tall and serviceable and still a virgin)
seems to be sleeping
with a flower of blood on his penis.
On his breast there is a scapular.

Everything in the countryside keeps quiet.
Sooner or later someone will come for them.

Translation: 2005, Nicolás Suescún