Interview
w/a Border Machine

can you please state your name

Xochitl Tzompantli

what kind of name is that

it was given to me by an indian woman

black hair long black shawl — it

means Skull Rack Flower

well let’s get to business here why

are you here in the first place

i do not

talk about

that all i know

eyes

swim before

me a river

eyes

fall upon me w/candle

fire in their blood

to come —

what do you tell them

nothing

why are you speaking to me

— dying falling wars

everything inside of me is

alive & dying at the

sametime against each other

what do you know about war you are nothing

but a wall

a lie touch me

like they

touch me

climb upon me

like they give

their deepest bones — i

carry a severed withering

night unto night

inside

you will find your name

written on a piece of flesh

you are a bit dramatic i am just interested in

a simple & short interview

of course everyone is

why are you here besides being a hard-working

border apparatus

i give you

meaning

come on that is easy

every one

eats from my flesh

calls me from afar

nails me pour themselves

into me take me to the sky threads

i feed

meaning i

prepare a place more for you

than for the ones here

what you are saying

it does

not matter

well ok ok what about your friends plans projects

hobbies like that

i do not have such

things as friends

ok well we are done

wait —

my name is Xochitl Tzompantli

Skull Rack Flower i am

the life-cutter the eater

watchtowers guards artillery

wires & codes & dogs &

filth nourish me

i provide

ghosts unclaimed that tie you to a circle

of tortured faces that on occasion

appears as a flower on your suit

i

bow down to them i remember them

i ask them to

forgive me but

all they see is

you