bernicia burns

it was late at night when people are sleeping. she was wide awake. she was thinking about pablo picasso. picasso was pablo's mother's maiden name. pablo thought picasso sounded so much better than ruiz. she agreed. she was thinking about using her mother's maiden name instead of the one he had given her. flores was so much better than burns. bernicia flores--would that sell books? would that write books? maybe if she changed her name, she would be able to start writing. maybe it was all the centuries of patriarchal oppression that was stifling her voice? yes. first thing in the morning, she would walk the 37 blocks to have her name legally changed to bernicia flores. but then she thought, I could have it changed to anything. and then suddenly, bernicia burns missed her mother very much.