Blood and ink
In the text, Rigoberto puts his own twist on the cultural tradition of retablos: "These are my versions of retablos, honoring ideals, people, occasions, and books- beloved muses that inspire my blood-ink on the page." He uses the imagery of blood and ink, inspired by traditional retablos, to represent his own literary inspirations and journey as a writer.
Mariposa imagery
The mariposa is a key aspect of the imagery of this text, and is used to subvert the nickname "mariposa," as it is sometimes used as an insult against gay men in Mexico. Instead, Rigoberto associates the mariposa with the imagery of beauty and resilience. For example, the following passage: "Mariposa may come across as an obvious symbol or image with the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation paralleling a young man's coming out of the closet/cocoon, but the trope can be articulated through a more emotionally charged language: the transformation is actually a transition."
The shade of red
Rigoberto makes it clear in the introduction that red is a significant color in this text. Firstly, red is the color of blood, which is significant with respect to the use of retablos as a symbol. Red is also the color of "fury, fire, rage, outrage, and healing wound[s]." As such, the imagery of the color red is significant in illuminating certain prominent emotions in the text.
