“Selling Afghani Hashish to the Mafia in Rome” by Rafaella Del Bourgo

“The hash has been hand pressed with tea
into little cakes,
then heated over coals
by the gardener in the backyard
of your hotel in Kabul.”

Enjoy this audio recording of “Mariposa” by Rafaella Del Bourgo from Vol. 35:2 of CALYX Journal! Buy your copy here!

Rafaella Del Bourgo’s writing has appeared in Puerto Del Sol, Rattle, and Oberon. She has won the Allen Ginsberg Award and the Paumanok Prize and was nominated for a third Pushcart. She won the Terry J. Cox Award for her poetry manuscript to be published by Regal House summer 2025. She lives in Berkeley, CA.