NIGHT OF THE MEIGA

in the moonlit whirlpool
my green tresses swirl at the whim of the tides
the juice of mussels drips down my arms
as I lick their opal purple shells

after the incantation
the spell is cast in the goblet of orujo
the chorus of voices soars on Atlantic wind
bonfires sparkle on the sand
but I turn west to face eternity

dancing in the dark blue ether
perfumes of pine and eucalyptus
lift my body surrendered to the sky
I sway to the murmur of leaves
and the soft drumming of waves

then my mouth kisses the sea
the taste intoxicates me
and I plunge into fathoms of darkness

in the silence of the lair
his body soothes my ancient longing
until the tide recedes

reluctantly I return to my throne on Montebranco
and wrap the salty mist around my shoulders
tracing the memory of my lover's face
lazy fingers caress
a thousand stars in the sky

sweetly I succumb to dreaming
soon the sun will rise
and the grapes will glisten with morning dew

—Finisterre, Galicia 2001

m a r i a   d e   l o s   a n g e l e s   l e m u s
m i a m i   b e a c h ,   f l o r i d a

GLOSSARY
Finisterre: "Land's End," as named by the Romans who thought they had reached the end of the continent when they colonized parts of Spain
Meiga: Galician for the Spanish maga, literally "female magician," but in Galicia (as interpreted by the author), she is a beneficent and wise witch who is capable of shape-shifting and an important character from Galicia's Celtic folklore
Montebranco: White Mountain, an actual cliff and bird sanctuary facing the Atlantic in Finisterre
Orujo: Ancient Galician ritual, performed by the water's edge to ward off evil spirits, consisting of drinking an alcoholic "shot" made from distilled grape skins that is lighted with fire before consuming

Maria de los Angeles Lemus's grandparents were from Spain. One of her great-grandfathers was from Galicia. An inventor, he eventually moved to and settled in Mexico. Maria's self-published blog, Meridian, is a set of vignettes about a woman traveling alone in Spain, ranging from the baudy to the sublime.

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