Williams’ Red Wheelbarrow
By Melissa Espinoza
Two muddy wheels seem to be all I have
I was once bright
Red
Now I feel the deep rusted crevices indented inwardly
My wooden handles are so worn down
They could split into a million little pieces
I wait until hands devastate themselves
By touching me
Bright white chickens stroll past me
Their feathers pristine as white marble
They might as well be scented with
Chanel no5
While I am left to smell of old wet earth
And chicken feces
Left out to be cleaned by the rain
It’s entirely futile
Since my wheels just sink deeper and deeper
Into the mud
The water that comes down might as well be God’s spit.
Melissa Espinoza is currently a MA candidate within the Literature program at New Mexico State University. Melissa is currently most interested in works of Feminist and Chicanx writing but also enjoys poetry and cultural literary criticism. As a Chicana writer, she hopes to bring her love of her mother tongue into her writing and showcase her roots within her many works.