Within 電 a field poetics:
sky, rain, lightning over la milpa—
components in the symbol

electricity. A lasso enlazados, 
an analemma tracing
the migrant dagongmei

& ensambladoras from rural 
farms to city factory, 
working circuiting electrons.

To help with my poem,
she gave me her needle-nose pliers, 
the ones she used

on the line: a finer pair 
of fingers to tune or awl
—they thread image

& song, seam signals, hem 
Hertzian waves, handwork
—warp & weft—the Web.

 

With spool of tin solder
& hot iron over circuit board 
how might she resemble

retablistas in market booths 
who condense a votary’s 
difficult story & infinite thanks