A reference to Angel and the narrator's wedding. However, in the previous poem "Because You Don't Have a Social Security Number," there is line that includes "...why we never married..." Which one is true?

I'm confused why Angel thinks it is strange that only one dog was at their wedding? What is the underlying meaning?

Angel feels forgotten and insignificant

Angel starts feeling uneasy and restless, like the dogs suffering from ennui and malaise?

I think this "Judas" reference may be rooted in the Bible. Judas was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. He was also the one who betrayed Jesus and turned him in to the Jewish officials, hence the "traitor" reference.

Definition: a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement

Definition: a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or uneasiness whose exact cause is difficult to identify

Does "home" refer to Ciudad Juarez or El Paso?

"Tunas," like in the fish?

The format of this poem is three lines per stanza. This differs from many previous poems that have two lines in between each break, possibly a reference to the two cities at the heart of this collection.

"Numbered sections" like the border fence

Such a specific and interesting title

The physical border (a fence) that separates the two lovers, in addition to the legal status that separates them.

I thought they were married? Unless this is not referring to Angel and the narrator?

Does she hate it because it separates the two of them? Meaning, the social security number represents how she is a legal U.S. citizen, while the "you" is not. This difference forces them a part

Is there a significance to this number? Not only is it repeated several times in this poem, but also it is mentioned in a previous poem.

This reminds me of the Dust Bowl and the hardships faced by the Americans who endured it. The story told in this poem is much more horrific, however it is not publicized or well known.

Insinuating that these flyers are not doing any "solid" or beneficial work since the girls in them are most likely already dead?

Will these flyers also never quit being posted because femicide will not be stopped and the young women will not stop from going missing?

I felt that this should be highlighted, however I do not know what to say about it. It is simply shocking and saddening...

Definition: a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone.

How many girls and women have fallen victim to femicide? Specifically, how many has the author lost to this horror?

One of many incidences where the author utilizes the senses to help us readers really imagine the setting

Usually the phrase is "bleached white." Why is this "bleached quiet"?

A very young girl...extremely sad. I wonder if she was a victim of femicide or if she attempted to cross the border and failed?

This encounter obviously left a significant impact on the archeologist. I wonder if this poem is telling a true story, and if so, what is this archeologist doing now. Is he stilling hunting trilobites and ferns? Or has he started looking for my bodies to provide closure for grieving families?

I think this is the most powerful sentence in the entire poem, so it is fitting that it is the final line. Furthermore, this statement may be the most impactful one I have read thus far within The Verging Cities.

What are the underlying meanings of these phrases?

Why was his initial instinct to just leave the human remains? Was he afraid? In shock? Unsure of what to do?

According to Wikipedia, these are "extinct marine arthropods"

He used to be legal? What happened that resulted in him losing his ability to cross the border?

Again, who is "BT"?

I think that the author truly loved Angel, but the marriage was still forced. The had to pay these fees to go through with the forging of the documents.

The "commitment" to make the marriage look more real?

Fake documents to help with Angel's immigration status

Getting married should be an intimate, celebrated, and powerful experience, not one that is composed of filling out a questionnaire and redundantly checking boxes. However, due to their circumstances, this route is what they had to take.

Who do the "BT," "MB," and "UTB" initials refer to?

Is the signature from his father? Does the "swallows each memory of light" mean that this man took away the happiness in Angel's life? Did they have a poor relationship, if one at all?

Is this the story of the illegal forging of marriage papers to help Angel stay in the United States?

Perspective of the ants; does the author feel insignificant and small like the ants?

Ants are mentioned several times throughout this poem. What is the significance?

This further exemplifies that they are from two different backgrounds, and probably one from each of the sister-cities (the author from El Paso and Angel from Ciudad Juarez?). I would classify them as "star-crossed lovers." Like in Romeo and Juliet, others look down upon their pairing.

Angel, I'm assuming, was arrested for being an illegal immigrant. The author's sorrow is probably a result of this trauma

Like a funeral?

Produces the ideas of despair, giving up

The stanzas are in groups of three in this poem, unlike two in many other poems in this collection.