"Under the Spell of Conjunto" by Vickie Vértiz

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
October 17, 2023 

Under the Spell of Conjunto

Vickie Vértiz

Their boots knew
The footwork, the kickers
The works
The guy was one you’d think knew about ceremony
With his gauges and a ponytail

When the polkas played, when it came to the glide
There was so much at stake in adobe
What did we make out of tall boys and plastic bags?

Older men in SAS botas shined and worked the pearl
Accordion, one broken and kicking in

We didn’t tire of watching the blue neon
On everyone’s face
We were heat-seeking love
Left to our longing and our tubas
Concerned with what’s original
Our partners had to go slower. They dipped us and
Ran out of the bar with their heads hanging on

There is so much at stake in adobe

The couple, they knew what step was next
What was coming—maybe boleritos
Definitely conjunto. Is this banda?
No, it’s one led and the other
Followed but the turn
Wasn’t taut enough
To bring spring back

We wondered if our dancing looked too________
And the lights went off. Let me show you 
How to put it in reverse
We put our cheeks to theirs and sighed

The woman had a dancer’s posture 
She didn’t have to look 
At her partner’s feet to follow his concentric 
She was turquoise and blush 

The band was too small to be a banda 
You need a brass section 
With at least
Twelve more people

We were so chin up and hair swept, entranced
No one noticed
We were running 
Out of time—the cracked beer bottle over black curls 
was coming, but we kept dancing
Like it wasn’t

Copyright © 2023 by Vickie Vértiz. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on October 17, 2023, by the Academy of American Poets.

Subscribe to the Poem-a-Day Podcast 

  

“A group of friends and I stood and watched a couple gliding over a San Antonio dance floor for a whole night. We were completely hypnotized as we tried to figure out the physics of their movements. In my work, I love to re-celebrate and relive moments of joy—in community and on the dance floor, specifically. Here we find ourselves listening to boleritos and conjunto one night, not knowing that a brawl would break out later, a literal and emotional one. How many times have I seen this play out after a night of dancing? How many broncas had that occupied land seen? Too many to count. Forever and ever.”
Vickie Vértiz

Vickie Vértiz is a Mexican American, queer poet. Vértiz is the author of Auto/Body (University of Notre Dame Press, 2023), winner of the 2022 Ernest Sandeen Prize in Poetry, and Palm Frond with Its Throat Cut (University of Arizona Press, 2018), winner of the 2018 PEN America Literary Award–Los Angeles in Poetry. She lives in Los Angeles on Tongva land.

Auto/Body
(University of Notre Dame Press, 2023)

“Berimbau” by Ananda Lima
read more
“Soul Train” by Allison Joseph
read more

Thanks to Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, author of Beast Meridian (Noemi Press, 2017), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month’s weekdays. Read or listen to a Q&A about Villarreal’s curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year.
“Poem-a-Day is brilliant because it makes space in the everyday racket for something as meaningful as a poem.” —Tracy K. Smith

If this series is meaningful to you, join the community of Poem-a-Day supporters by making a gift today. Now serving more than 320,000 daily subscribers, this publication is only possible thanks to the contributions of readers like you.
 
Copyright © 2023 The Academy of American Poets, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.



Our mailing address is:
The Academy of American Poets
75 Maiden Lane
STE #901
New York, NY 10038

Add us to your address book


View this email in your browser

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from all Academy messages.

For any other questions, please visit the Poem-a-Day FAQ page.

Older messages

"The warble of melting snow is the river" by Emily Lee Luan

Thursday, October 19, 2023

is the bleat of the sandhill crane Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day October 18, 2023 The warble of melting snow is the river Emily Lee Luan is the bleat of the sandhill crane is the hush

"I belong there. I have many memories."

Thursday, October 19, 2023

October 18, 2023 “Safe Harbor in Enemy Homes” by Rasha Abdulhadi “Memorial Day for the War Dead” by Yehuda Amichai “Edensong” by Peter Cole “I Belong There” by Mahmoud Darwish “Born. Living. Will. Die.

"You, Emblazoned" by Cass Donish

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Yet your voice was here— Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day October 10, 2023 You, Emblazoned Cass Donish for Kelly Caldwell (1988–2020) Yet your voice was here— just there-here in our house,

"Decolonialish Self-Portrait" by Sara Borjas

Monday, October 9, 2023

I remember myself; / —a chair, turning— Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day October 9, 2023 Decolonialish Self-Portrait Sara Borjas I remember myself; —a chair, turning— a desperate blue

"Let No Charitable Hope" by Elinor Wylie

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Now let no charitable hope Facebook Twitter Instagram Poem-a-Day is reader-supported. Your gift today will help the Academy of American Poets continue to publish the work of 260 poets each year, and

You Might Also Like

My Guy

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

From September ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

"Meetings" by Elizabeth Woody

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Twice on other travels a wolf stood in the periphery of lamplight. Facebook Twitter Instagram Support Poem-a-Day November 27, 2024 Meetings Elizabeth Woody Twice on other travels a wolf stood on the

You’ve been shampooing all wrong

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

— Check out what we Skimm'd for you today November 27, 2024 Subscribe Read in browser Header Image But first: the best Black Friday sales to shop early Update location or View forecast Quote of the

#61: Public Service Announcement

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Starting to draw this season of 'She Dares To Say' to a close ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Review: “Monica”

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Daniel Clowes doesn't mess about. The opening two-page spread of his heart-wrenching fictional biography jump cuts from amoeba to cavemen to Jesus on the cross to the industrial revolution to the

This Sweater Will Be My Winter Hero Piece & I’ll Wear It Nonstop

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

So cozy and cute. The Zoe Report Daily The Zoe Report 11.26.2024 This Sweater Will Be My Winter Hero Piece & I'll Wear It Nonstop (Shopping) This Sweater Will Be My Winter Hero Piece & I

The Best Thing: November 26, 2024

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

The Best Thing is our weekly discussion thread where we share the one thing that we read, listened to, watched, did, or otherwise enjoyed recent… ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Sydney Sweeney's New 'Dark Suede Blonde' Is Winter's Hottest Shade

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

So rich and luxurious. The Zoe Report Beauty The Zoe Report 11.26.2024 (Beauty) Sydney Sweeney's New 'Dark Suede Blonde' Is Winter's Hottest Shade (Celebrity) Sydney Sweeney's New

7 Days Till GivingTuesday

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Join the GivingTuesday movement, support Our Human Family, and reimagine a world build upon shared humanity and generosity. OHF WEEKLY 7 Days Till GivingTuesday Join the GivingTuesday movement, support

5 Hacks to Speed up Chrome

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

The Best Black Friday Tech Deals at Amazon, Best Buy, and More. Optimize between performance, efficiency, and privacy. Not displaying correctly? View this newsletter online. TODAY'S FEATURED STORY