Dalagang dalaga

Sayang, she is no longer dalaga.

Thirsty men have stained her piña baro,

while the priests’ absolution tore her wings.

Gone are the buttons, snatched by babies’ fists,

all that remains now are flowers—which wilt

as the thread of her bloodline comes undone.

Lost are men, boys, and woo. Why else would she

bare her breast and glare at the sun, daring

light to make permanent the lines, the birds

perched about her eyes. How dare she empty

her basket of fruit and field, or wield scythe

against necks besides those of rice? Wither

soft, golden curves, and replace with a jaw

which made its way through more than it could chew.

Tricia Lim Castro (she/they) is a storyteller, dancer, and leader in arts education. Currently, Tricia is an undergraduate student at USC pursuing a Narrative Studies BA with minors in Dance and the Natural Sciences. She is also a co-director of Troy Philippines’ Pilipinx American Culture events, the Club Annex Captain of Break On 2 Latin Dance Fusion Team, and a company member of Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts. Their work has been featured in Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted at the Grammy Museum and the Borgen Project.