gaucho V1 circa 2011

several flanks cured over night as the fire died

and the morning filled up the lowlands

and brought resonance to the pampas

with the quick stitch of silver rodolfo woke and sat up


Rodolfo alone on the planes the last bits of smoke fled the fire


and he had start chewing on them all day long as a dog may gnaw on a bone

perfecting extraction and toil

his jaw hurt  

(propping himself with his left)he cradled his jaw with the softeness of his forefingers on his right hand


he had begun to grind his teeth at night and

in the day while his caninines might tear the flesh

his molars must soften the meat

kneading the rough muscle the porcelain parts


he saving a dizzying anemia

in order to be largely wrought with iron



his horse waited carlessly

dressed for riding


he proded the fire and placed his last pieces of dried ombu to burn

he knelt and put on the water to heat for his tea

he crushed some dried yerba mate leaves to steep

and placed one between his teeth

moistened it with his spit


the bitters struggle on his tounge

the extracts seeps to his teeth

the billow enters his blood stream


rodolfo cut a strip from his dried beef flank

breathing thorough his nose as he chewed

staring at the fire he favored the right side of his mouth

perfecting extraction and toil

which might finally satisfy his mastication and assuage the throbbing in his mouth




Rodolfo drew his hand across the grain of the horses his hide

still working a piece of sinew he winced, spit, his blood swirls with his saliva



with the posture of a horse rider

Rodolfo rode amongst the grasses of the pampas

the open fields the long drought

his body absorbing the gait

the tread of miles


with terrible efficency

and precision his vertabrae  fused with his horses

his torso met the short hairs

his inards mingling

his arms filled with horse blood

he flicked his tail

his hindquarters muscled defined and honey   


the curve in his chest matching that in his spine

capturing of pride without disdain

a remarkable marriage

his legs were corrdinated

and not weakened as a faun


he sped without crop or cane

with purpose and negligance


he toppled the giants of patagonia

he destroyed pizzaros cavalray

and all kings that tried to tame him

blooming with purport


and all the while the low brush of thistle reminding him of his speed

the pruple blush of lupine acknowledging his restraint

and the flowers that covered the foot hills remained small and brilliant

thrown as floods of eddies in his wake

with the crust of the andes large and ominous in the distance


as he covered the full range of Huayna Capac

his hoofs tossing gold

his flight a privelage



he tried to shed his diet and rely on the fertile grasses of the pampas

if he pity on his heartland than it may pity him

hoping his digestion might have fused as the spine of these shirtless riders

but the meat curdled in his equine stomach

the grasses flattend in his hominid mouth

his jaw grew tired

and the grasses grew longer

and the cattle grew bolder


he soon drew weakness from his speed and lust from his freedom

the plume bold and draught

exauhst sting and choking

the blood into water

the more one wrestles the faster they die  


rodolfo patted his horse

pampas grass spun in his bowel

his intestine intact

he chewed on a tea leaf


he was here

his jaw hurt like hell

he must address the herd