Neuro Logical
A town of 10'000 virgins - Mather Schneider
Updated: Feb 12, 2022
Natalia buys a big altar candle
lights it and places it at the foot of the giant Virgin of Guadalupe
down near the fishing docks
hoping this will help her heal and be whole and happy again
the Virgin’s got seagull shit on her face
we watch the men pull their boats down
and slip them into the water
a couple men get into an argument because it’s crowded
it is a beautiful sunny morning and the sea is as calm
as blue stationary before the plastic is ripped off
other boats are coming in already
filled with slimy fish covered in flies
we decide to take a walk and go down to the Malecon
where the vendors are as aggressive as piranha
trying to sell us stupid worthless junk
sunset cruises where the tourists get blasted on cheap tequila
and the music booms so loud it breaks the pelicans’ eardrums
we look for whales but see none
just the big rusty shrimp boats miraculously floating out there
we walk through the charming streets above the Malecon
think how quaint it would be to own one of the cute little houses
with a balcony and an ocean view each day
all the balconies are empty
I suppose people get bored of it
and we’d get bored of it too
there’s the lighthouse restaurant up on the rocky hill
the highest point in town
the only people who can afford to eat there are wealthy travelers
almost every house we walk by has a Virgin statue
or a Virgin painted on the patio wall
or in a tile mosaic
each with that same sad face
a town of 10,000 Virgins
it’s been so long since we’ve made love I feel like a virgin myself
we hold hands as we stroll down the avenue
we don’t say much
Natalia moves her lips in silent prayer
I think about that glass of vodka
big as an altar candle
I will pour down my throat when we get home