My English has sharp Ts like espinas de nopal
How can I soften the sharp Ts in my sound? The ones I acquired at school where the teacher used to say ‘keep your accent for flirting’ When you aren’t British, or Latina, or coloured, or white, What are you? Latinos, the ones with lovely skin like dulce piloncillo call me a mongrel. People look down at me with a little mocking smile: too apasionada, drámatica, oh she’s so funny kind a’smile. Bisnieta de Andaluz, hija de madre blanquísima. Descendiente de Moros. Often I envy a los Latinos del otro lado del océano, them who aren’t separated from their roots por todo un pinche mar Atlántico, solo un muro/a wall, or a river called Rio Bravo, a torrent that vanishes in the cold of winter then emerges from the ground like a deep wound across the desert, like my tears/ my rage lying in wait behind mi sonrisa, that pounces upon some unsuspecting victim, never the apropiarte target. Mi rio está lleno de ahogados. Only when you start withering you notice your roots are drying, dying, then ...