Misinformation

by Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal

I have been tinkering with my DNA, scraping off my fingerprints with a file, and making funny faces to change the way I look. I have changed my name each week and signed my name differently every time I have to sign something. I want complete privacy. I am tired of being the target of advertisers. I pay cash whenever I can. I have destroyed all the credit cards I own. I have fudged with the numbers on my alien registration card. I change my hair color as often as possible. I would wear a wig, but I hate those things.

There are people everywhere following me. I have seen them in the trees, inside cars, and across the street with cameras in their hands. They’re taking pictures, trying to steal my soul. They want my DNA. As much as I try to stay clear of those types I am always running into them. They’re trying to make my life intolerable. They want to make money from my DNA. I heard it was possible to clone a person. I fear it has already been done. I have seen two women who look exactly as I do, except one appears to be twenty years younger and the other is just a teenager.

I have heard them call me mother. But I have never given birth. I know this for a fact as I have practiced abstinence my entire life. I want no strand of my DNA shared with anyone. They think they could make me think otherwise. But I won’t. I have been pure my entire life. I won’t let man’s stain drop onto my body’s special place. I have lived in solitude for years. I had to move many times when I felt them getting nearer. I practice the art of misinformation for peace of mind. I clutch my heart whenever a camera flashes into my eyes.

Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal’s chapbook, Keepers Of Silence, came out on December 20, 2007, from

Kendra Steiner Editions. Luis was born in Mexico. He works in the mental health field in Los Angeles, CA. His first book of poems, Raw Materials, was published by Pygmy Forest Press. His first chapbook, Without Peace, was published by Kendra Steiner Editions. His next chapbook, Next Exit, will be the 100th chapbook published by Kendra Steiner Editions and will be co-authored by poet Ronald Baatz.

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