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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Corn Maid

There once was a Mother and her son 
they lived next to some red ants 
in really small village 
that was dusty 
and green 

The Mother and her son 
had a farm that yielded 
corn, beans, squash 
and chiles 

The ants also had a farm 
that yielded the same plants 
Really what do you expect  
people without a local 
Wal Mart to buy food 
and Facebook to surf 
and find out rumors 
about the Gods 

One summer 
The Gods got bored with the small 
villages and sent a drought 
the stopped the rain from pouring 
the ground being fertile
and plants from growing food 
the plants instead turned brown and died 

Now having no Wal Mart 
most people either traded what 
they saved 
or starved to death 

But the red ants that lived next to the Mother and her son 
still had plenty of corn 
each morning the had more corn the last 

One day the Mother asked the ants 
for help, for her and her son, were dying 
of hunger 

and the ants answered her woe by exclaiming 
that they knew of a farm that had fertile corn stalks 
that they got corn from everyday 
they told her to send her son with them 
and they’d lead him to the farm 

On the following morning 
when the it was the first light of the dawn 
The Mother sent her son with the ants 
to travel to the farm with corn 

It took all day long and when they got there 
to the farm 
the son saw lots of corn stalks 
but no farmer or any signs human life 
but surely the ants knew better 
than to still 

The boy wandered off into the cornfield 
and went about here and about there 
and found red brick house 

After seeing the house the boy 
went back to the ants and told them about 
the house and asked them to stop stealing the corn 

The ants were stubborn and kept one 
with their criminality 
the boy started to attack them 
and they being red ants started to bite him 
and from that day on red ants bite people when 
they’re angry 

The boy had never been bitten 
and screamed in pain 
and the scream brought 
the Goddess of the red brick house 
out to inspect what was happening 


At the sight of the Goddess the ants left the corn and 
headed back to their anthill next to The Mother 

The boy explained to The Goddess what had happened
and about the drought, starving people, and the ants. 


The Goddess took pity on the boy 
and she took him into her red brick house 
and introduced him to her daughters 
one was dressed in red, one in green, and the third one in white 
The Goddess asked him to take one as a bride 
and promised him that his family farm would never 
ever suffer from drought 
as long her daughter never worked 
there would be plenty of corn on his farm 


And so the boy stayed the night 
and chose the third sister in white 
and when the sun rose 
the two young boy and maid 
walked home with a basket of corn 

Within weeks from the arrival of the 
Son to his Mother’s house 
their corn stalks grew nonstop 
giving up so much corn 
that Mother and Son 
worked all day long 
from sunrise to moon fall 

While the white bride 
never lifted a finger 
around the house 
she did not cook 
she did not wash clothe 
she did not sweep the dust 
around the house 
and least of all 
she did not harvest the corn 

The mother was aching all over her bones 
her back was sore 
and feet tired and worst of all 
her hands were bruised and red 

her son likewise 
was tired 
he never slept 
and went from his house to 
the town square to sale 
off the corn 

They had so much yellow 
corn they became so rich 
the could make tortillas 
and chepos 
tamales and toqueres 
all with the corn dough 
that only son and mother made 


And meanwhile the ants next door 
grew resentful 
they steal and get punished for it 
and he tells on them 
gets a bride and lots of corn 

The ants one fine morning talked to the Mother 
and told her that her daughter in law was lazy 
and a brat 
and that she did not have to suffer 
they told her to to make the bride 
clean the house
dust the floor 
to make some food and 
to work in the fields 


And for some time the ants 
and the mother talked 
and the same topic came up 

It did not help 
when the mother went around town 
the people would bring up her daughter in law
and tell her to put her to work 

those red ants only know how to spread rumors and steal 

but ever since those days Mothers and Daughters in law 
have been sworn enemies 

The Mother tired of hearing complains about her daughter in law
made her work one fine summer day 
while her son was out about town 

The Wife ....the son’s bride 
worked in the field 
under the sun 
and she did not stop till the moon and stars 
covered the sky 

When the Son came back to his wife 
she showed him bleeding hands and 
crying wife told him she would abandon 
him and his mother 
and the farm 
and return back home 
to her mother 

And the next day the corn died 
and there was no more them to eat 
or bake into food 

That is what happens 
when your best friends are red ants 
never listen to them...they only know how 
to make your life hell

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