Slit chests bored him.
Hot hearts and the hot smell
of blood made him frown,
until he saw the slit
on his gardeners’ ears, saw the plants
cacao, orchids, magnolia
with new, soft leaves growing
as he had ordered, changing Huaxtepec
to a garden with the blood that touched
soil, roots, leaves,
and Moctezuma began to smile often
at the blood-smell near the pyramid
for it reminded him of his garden,
of his flowers bigger than his hands,
bigger than the hearts beating
in the large bowl where he now saw
red blooms pulsing, pulsing