The first edition of Salsa Nocturna went to press before we had a chance to uh…clear all the copyright hurdles to get this in here, but the new edition has it. It’s from the song Magdalena and Krys listen to during their soiree in the props closet and the epigraph for the book.
EPIGRAPH
They sing
Of memories, tragedies,
Waltzes and scattered demonologies
They sing to ward off
The sting of might have been, could have been, if only
And build a brand new language of maybe
Canyons of possibility open with each note
Every molecule a chance,
A hope or extinguished dream
Wagging tongues and gnashing teeth,
Eyes moist and sharp,
To keep the doubt at bay
They sing, the Dead
And the world cracks open
And bleeds another day
Cantan
De memorias y tragedias
Valses y demonologías dispersas
Cantan para evitar
El escozor de lo que pudiera haber sido, hubiera podido ser, si sólo
Y construir un nuevo lenguaje del quizás
Cañones de posibilidad se abren con cada nota
Cada molécula un chance
Una esperanza o sueño apagado
Lenguas meneándose y dientes rechinando
Ojos mojados y agudos
Para detener la duda
Cantan los Muertos
Y el mundo se rompe abierto
Y desangra otro día
From the song Katarsis
by Culebra