Valentina Cano

De-Composition

The selling of the dead comes naturally.

There’s no trick to chiseling out

congealed blood

from veins that bend like licorice

or to scrape the marrow with a fingernail.

Bones tinkling together with the voice of porcelain.

The dismantling of the mantel.

The taking of what’s already sold.

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. Her works have appeared in numerous publications and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Her debut novel, The Rose Master, was published in 2014 and was called a "strong and satisfying effort" by Publishers Weekly.