The Worship of the Golden Calf, from the Workshop of Jacopo Tintoretto
January 1, 2025
It was there all along: // a knot beneath the skin, // a stranger's tongue in darkness
One Saturday afternoon in the shoulder // season between calving and haying
I hate rich people, // my son says, spat // from the belly of the bus // that each day returns him // to dry land
Usually Rafael was called Rafa, but Hope shortened it further to Raf. Some of the other men who worked at the hotel would tease him when they heard this, but Rafael never mentioned it to her. He met her briefly while she worked the day shift during the summer time, when the sun would bleed through the windows and warm her pale face while she stood behind the front desk.