SANTA BARBARA MOTEL Poem by José Zuleta Ortiz

The doorkeeper
shows the place to the lovers,
waits for the car to go in,
closes the gate . . .
tired
late at night
she dozes among moans,
the music of pleasure,
whimpers, chokings . . .
She dreams: a young man sings to her,
she dreams about his joy, she breathes in his laughter,
her waters burn
a flight goes over her,
the choir of happy wails
wakes her,
she no longer knows if that sound of bliss is hers.