the incredible world of machines by José Eugenio Sánchez, translated by Anna Rosenwong


 
 
-what do you want for your birthday
-a terminator
-what is that and where can I buy it
-the internet
 
$314 and a few days later it arrived at the house
excitedly she tore open the box
a hair-raising plastic device hot vibrating skin colored
with accessories for penetrating vagina and anus at the same time
with three different speeds and ultra toxic batteries
 
working those controls
will make you think about the big questions
 
her pupils trembled in her eyes
squeezing her hands into fists she drooled
and screamed like she’d been dosed with napalm
 
within a few days I got the hang of it
monday terminator
tuesday terminator ii judgement day
wednesday terminator iii rise of the machines
thursday terminator iv salvation
until little by little I turned into another of the toy’s accessories
 
the incredible world of machines
 
let’s see if the terminator leaves her sweet messages
or refills her wine glass
or gazes at her from the other side of the room
 
let’s see
 
she’s already telling me she wants the alien
an adorable space bauble that runs on solar energy
and makes you feel like your stomach is bursting open
 
 
 
José Eugenio Sánchez is an acclaimed poet and performer, and the author of numerous poetry collections, including Physical graffiti, La felicidad es una pistola caliente, and galaxy limited café, which was a finalist for the 2010 Jaime Gil de Biedma International Poetry Prize. He calls himself an “underclown,” and his aggressively playful work eagerly engages both pop and high culture with irreverence and insight. Originally from Guadalajara, Sánchez lives and writes in Monterrey, Mexico.
 
Anna Rosenwong is a translator, editor, poet, and educator. Her publications include Roció Cerón’s Diorama (winner of the 2015 Best Translated Book Award), several chapbooks, and a collection of poetry by José Eugenio Sánchez (forthcoming from Autumn Hill Press). She is the translation editor of Drunken Boat. See more at annarosenwong.com