nada

la nada
hace daño
hiere y lastima

tiene ponzoña
veneno de sobra

vuela entre engaños
tiene alas que se desintegran

aterriza en espejismos
como de mosca
de alas locas
de vida corta

ser sucio
contaminación en marcha
la nada siempre culpable

MAGAZINE


At the post office
There’s an image
On the counter

One invitation
To a dance
I inhale deeply
Then I exhale

This is what exercise is for
I don’t have the desire for it
But I know the steps

Somebody told me
That nowadays
People are 10 years younger
I hope they are right

PANCAKES


This morning
Seemed perfect
To make pancakes

I mixed the batter
By hand
First with a spoon
Then with a fork

I lit the burner
And used a little oil
On the pan

Added more water
To the mix
And worked it
Some more

I poured it
On the hot surface
The heat
Made it looked
Like the moon

TOP OF THE MORNING


Gun fire in the morning
In between dreams
Between the opening of the eye

Music at daybreak
Giving instructions
With its rhythms
With the mixing of words
One above the other

The smaller the profile
The better
So I sleep some more
Dreaming with the prone position

Outside
The girl that washed
Her hands
Is crying

There’s shouting
Bilingual cursing
Open wounds

Pained for those seized
The triumphant walk euphorically
Stepping on as much ground
As they can

Women wailed
For those on the back
Of the pick up truck

SEMINAR


There was a meeting
At the pharmacy
And she had to leave

It is odd
She arrived
With such a
Happy face

And was gone
As fast
As she arrived

I walked
Towards the restroom
And found school boys
Hiding from school girls

The girls wanted in
The boys wanted them out
I told them to cut it out
And walk back to the seminar

I listened to the speaker
And she said:

Tell the children
Not to eat the world
All at once

Tell them to
Eat it
Little by little
Making sure
The world doesn’t
Eat them

There is a reason
Why they are
In this world
They have a mission

BOARDWALK


Men & women
Walk with sticks
In their hands
Dogs beside them

The ocean plays its music
White foam on the shore
Long faces in the sand

From tennis shoes
To huarache sandals
A grey summer

The vivid colors
Are only in the imagination
The lifeguard comes and goes
Running with blue hooded sweatshirt
Drinking coffee to keep going

Workers replace the old lamp poles
They carry them away with solemnity
The boys and I inspect
The brand new ones

AIRPORTS


They were at the airport
On the ticket counter
He really looked like me
And she was wearing a dress

They were on this side
You were on the other side
Across the barrier
And soon to be
Across the ocean

I was breathing
European humidity
My pores still had
Your taste
My mind was swollen
With you image

But even ideas
Are charted with borders
The sky
The air
Everything is divided
Even the spirits have
Their claims on the clouds

In New York City
I walked through a maze
Looking for the exit
Trying to catch my next flight
Till I arrived at the X-ray machines

The agent told me to
To take off my boots and my belt
I did so
And then I heard
The voice of a woman

“Pretty soon we are going to get naked”

I look towards my left
And it was the woman with the dress
Her companion
The guy with my face
Was no were to be found

“I don’t think so”
I said
And she just smiled

I walked away
Looking for a place to rest
I sat next to large windows
I could see airplanes outside
A lady sat next to me
Opened a medical

towards dinner


this morning
i saw a police woman
she was tall
and had revolver
and a shotgun
with her

i was looking
at a man
walking towards me
but she was looking me
in the eye
when she said
buen día
and i said
good morning to her

this afternoon
as i walked on gravel
i saw the neighbor's hen
struggling to swallow a snake

both were small
both were fighting
but the hen was sipping
the snake like spaghetti

the snake was wagging its tale
till it disappeared
and i told the children
the snake was still dancing
inside the hens stomach

this evening
when it was our turn
to eat dinner
we had an earthquake
as we ate tortillas & soup

SAINT


Saint Ignatius
Was eaten by lions
I paid close attention

One cat is biting his leg
The other one
Has its mouth
On the saint’s shoulder

I am told
He will be able to help
A martyr always knows
The meaning of suffering

The blond woman with blues eyes
Hands me her camera and says
Take a picture

WAKE UP


The woman
Orders the girl
To help her

They pick up garbage
And use blankets
As waste bags

Early in the morning
I heard music across the canyon
And when I opened my door

There it was
A rabbit dancing
On my front yard
I went back to bed
And slept some more

EYES ON THE ROAD


The young man
Is gathering lumber
Placing it
On a corner
He looks tired and concerned

The grey car drives away
The driver looks pretty & confused
But pretty non the less

She drives
Then she comes back
Then she drives away again

Tires turning slowly
Hands on the wheel
Negotiating hazards

collisions


moving bodies
make contact
all the time

it happens
in the heavens

it happens
on earth

large asteroids
have hit the moon

when traveling
through space
it is better
to add another sorceress

to the one
already hanging
from the rear-view mirror
of your spaceship

scenario


in the dark
the girl glows
with the light
of a cellphone

during the day
she walks
with words of fire
on her hands

she enters an old house

loud voices
come out of there like
flying crows

when she walks out
she looks at me
and then washes her hands
with soap & water

meeting


the good lady says
you don't waste your time
you work on your computer

and i searched
for a gentle smile

even though my thoughts
are elsewhere
on the beach
this morning
like yesterday morning

same girl running
fit & trim
jogging through the mist
running amongst a storm of rocks

messages


the messages in my car
are as old as the ocean
as old as the hesitation
in the surf

this time
they are dirty
like the contamination
of the sea

In the past
they have been
sparkling clean
like when light hits the water
making it warm

FOOD


The both of them
Looked stupefied
The walked like zombies
Touching each other
Losing themselves
In the labyrinths
Of the market

This had a sensation
Of a contagion
Like when one
Is catching a cold

Their eyes looked fresh
Vivid with color
Lost with pleasure
And I knew they were
So lost
So gone

I wondered
Who was worst off
Them or I
They were lost in bliss
I was sitting in the chair
Tired of sitting down

I was both happy
And sad for them
All at the same time
Today they were joyful
Tomorrow they would weeping

AFTERNOON


My son looks at my eyes
And gave me a hug
He says
I love you

Something undeniable
The only
Undeniable type
Of love

The 3 of us
Get in the car
And drive towards town

Look at the people
People that look the same
All over the world

We drive through traffic
And look at police cruisers
Ambulances going by

We keep driving
And then we park the car
We inhale
The burning ingredients
The barbecue

We sit on
The red table
And we eat
As I watch the street

school


children and parents
attend school

everything looks
so familiar

the lessons
the faces
the questions
the sparkle in her eye
the frowns
the smiles

somebody brings
a kitten inside

the lady places it
on her lap
and starts
playing with it

scene


always like this
it hurts to see
the struggle
the movements of survival
the efforts
to remain alive

the eyes
you never forget
the eyes

even though you might
not think about it
and look the other way
with the vision of you heart
to see better moments
happier times

WORDS


When words turn to water
It is time to move on

Don’t try to swim in them
Words are not meant for that

Swallow them
Or spit them out

Don’t let them linger
In your mouth

Because they will
Reach your soul

Your heart
Your mind

When words become wet
You must act fast
Before they lose
Their freshness

distance


distance
can be the best gift

space between us
where energy abides

the surface
touched by our feet
is occupied

the rest
is distance

even children
are thought distance
in elementary school

distance from others
from animals
from cars
from miracles

distance
is your best friend

humo azul


el humo recorre
las vías del cielo
los caminos del espanto
los aires de vidas
pulverizadas y desvanecidas
pintadas de azul
el color de mi cielo
el color de mi mar
el color de las almas
que ya no están
los pulmones se pintan
como los talleres
de carrocería
como los talleres del alma

luces y agua


20 luces en el mar
iluminan el agua
a un lado de las islas

¡hey son los ovnis!

dicen los niños
para después seguir jugando
a los soldados y terroristas

esta es una
de las mejores tardes
de mi vida

saco un papel
arrugado de la bolsa
de mi pantalón

y leo lo siguiente:

fuimos engendrados diariamente
el triunfo de la actitud
ha sido perseverante
la vida es el camino
por el que andamos
y demostramos
que podemos hacerlo bien

doblo el papel
lo guardo
y miro hacia el océano

actos naturales


la mujer besa
un árbol cicatrizado

nosotros
pateamos el balón

ella
camina por el concreto
nosotros permanecemos
en el césped

nosotros
con los pies en la tierra

ella
con su mano en la correa

la mañana
sigue su curso
con las policías sonrientes
estudiantes y caminantes

nosotros
seguimos jugando
y la señora se esfuma

RESFRIADOS


El virus
No me ha ganado
No me ha matado
Yo sí le gano

Bueno
Es mi sistema
El que lo hace desparecer

Es sólo
Cuestión de dormir un poquito

Cada
Uno de ellos
No me han matado
Pero ellos
Ya no están

Y yo sigo caminando
Y ellos siguen despareciendo

Yo sigo contando números
Y ellos se fueron

Sigo marcando
Las tablas con el sol

ENGAGED


Engaged
Each one
Wants to win

The fighters engaged
Until the end

Engaged
By the will
To survive

Engaged
By the will
To live

Engaged
With tears

Engaged
With an overwhelming reality

Engaged
With the rain

Engaged
With the sun
And the stars

A VECES


A veces el destello
Sale de la imagen
De pensamientos desvelados

De recuerdos atorados
En los espejos

A veces
Sólo se piensa y nace
Iluminando más de lo necesario

A veces el rayo
No tienen nada que ver con la lluvia
Pero sí con las historias de espantos

A veces
Es mejor no moverse
Y esperar que se agote el combustible

ATISBOS


Con cara asustada
Mastica la mañana
En la ventana del mundo

Su mano acaricia
Una blanca enredadera
Optimista y genética

Es bueno tocar el paraíso
Es bonito cuando
Se queda quieto
En el interior de un auto
Pretendiendo dormir

Acechando con ojos cerrados
En silencio
Escuchando y sintiendo

Me gusta el perfil del agua
El abrir y cerrar de puertas
Los tropezones con sillas

Me gusta cuando el paraíso
Se mira en el espejo
Cuando descansa
Con el peso de la gravedad

fantasmas


los mismos fantasmas
pasan por la vitrina
caminando entre la tierra y el agua

el de rojo
camina con un palo de golf
cada uno de sus pasos confirma su edad

también está
el de los perros color canela
éste luce un nuevo corte de pelo
que hace que su cabeza
se mire como el mundo

el que fuma un cigarrillo
con cara de pastor
no de pastor alemán
sino de pastor de ovejas

el que sufre de locuacidad
me pregunto si habla solo
(porque habla mucho)
cuando conduce en la carretera
últimamente raciona sus palabras

también están los desaparecidos
porque los fantasmas también desaparecen
a veces para siempre
por estos me gusta decir plegarias

PAELLA EN EL MEDITERRÁNEO


Al que le toca le toca…

Decían un par de españoles
Al lado de nuestra mesa
Pero nunca los escuché
Sí los vi pero no me llamaron la atención

Su cercanía era notable
Pero su conversación no tenía nada
Del otro mundo
No asustaba

Yo no estoy de acuerdo
Dijo ella

¿No estás de acuerdo en qué?
Pregunté yo

En lo que dicen esas personas
¿Cuáles personas?
Los tipos que estaban a un lado de nosotros
¿Y qué dijeron?

Al que le toca le toca

No dije nada
Pero me concentré de nuevo
En el sudamericano
Que tocaba la guitarra
Con el mediterráneo de fondo
Observé como pasaba
Por las mesas para pedir una monedas
A cambio de la canción

Y en la mesa a nuestra izquierda
Uno de los franceses
Le entregó unas monedas
Al mismo tiempo que le decía
Tocas la guitarra bien
Pero cantas mal

A sudamericano le tocó cantar
Al francés le tocó pagar
A mi compañera le tocó opinar

Y a mí
Al terminar con la paella

Me tocó
Fumar un puro cubano
Y beberme un wisky
Al que le toca le toca

EL CONEJO


Papá allí está el conejo
Fue lo que me dijo mientras dormía
¿Al que te dije no le dispararas ayer?
Pregunté mientras negociaba con la almohada
Sí, el mismo conejo

Me asomé por la ventana y no vi nada
Fui a la puerta y tampoco lo pude localizar
Allí está papá ¿no lo ves?

Miré al niño de reojo
Y por un momento creí
Que sólo era un fantasma
Que no podía ver
Quizá necesitaba mis gafas

No lo veo
Está abajo del carro
Pues no lo veo
Deja asustarlo para que salga corriendo
Y así lo puedas ver
Está bien

Avanzó hacia al carro
Se inclinó por un lado
Y salió el pequeño conejo
Pero no salió corriendo
Salió lentamente

Se detuvo sobre la hierba
Nos miró
Era pequeño
Y su peluche
Le servía de camuflaje

DOS PIES SON MEJORES QUE UNA BICICLETA


El árbol
Enfrente de una casa
De ancianos
Ve televisión

En sus pies
Está el producto
De la muerte
Con letra de niño

Mis pasos de adulto
No me permiten detenerme
Y sigo caminando
Pisando el concreto

Saludando a perros callejeros
Contando tus apariciones
Observando las nuevas generaciones

Con un vaso de poliestireno en la mano
Una tormenta de café
Sacude sus paredes blancas

césped


los trabajadores
del gas propano
juegan con un balón de fútbol

en el mismo parque
que los niños de secundaria
los miramos jugar
sentados en el césped
y hacemos comentarios
en el tipo de patadas
que los niños practican

se pueden lastimar la espalda
es lo que yo menciono
sí que se pueden lastimar
sus espaldas
él me dice

ya casi se termina la hora
del almuerzo
es lo que yo digo
y mi hijo me dice vámonos

nos subimos en la bicicleta
y paseamos por el parque
rumbo a casa

HALLAZGO


Las caminatas diarias
Están bañadas de pistas
Plasmadas en pedazos de papel

La hoja
Es cuadriculada
Blanca y con rayas azules

Las letras están escritas
Con tinta negra
Y tinta roja
Para diferenciar respuestas
Y propuestas

Comienza el relato:

— ¡Hay Mauricio, tú me dijiste que tenías novia! ¡okay! ¡y dijiste qué no eres así!
— ¡Ajámm! ¡Cómo no! En serio entonces, ¿sí o no?
— Mira, no estés jugando conmigo. ¿Okay? Y si fuera verdad diría no porque tienes novia. ¿Okay!
— Okay, bueno, tampoco te voy a obligar.
— MMM… ¡allá okay! Además, ¡no te basta con tu novia!
— Sí, y mucho.
— ¿Entonces?
— Nomás.

Cuando llego a la escuela
Mi hijo me pregunta
Qué es lo que estoy leyendo
Me pide que le deje leerlo
Le digo que no
Me pregunta el por qué
Le digo porque es una historia de amor

Le doy el papel
Lo comienza a leer
Y comienza a reírse
Yo también me río

Mientras caminamos a casa
Una mujer con gafas oscuras
Y un rostro sostenido por la tristeza
Nos observa

sobrante


el mar
tiene un azul
muy placentero
el día de hoy

9 balas
9 vidas
entonces un gato
tiene más de 9 vidas

las 9 suertes
la próxima
siempre es la más peligrosa

la espuma del mar
parece un partido político
bien separado
bien dividido
un vaivén prófugo de la felicidad

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

En un vaiven sin hamaca. La cotidianidad del directivo docente

camino a casa


el ronroneo del motor
los atisbos de carretera
el rebasar
el ceder
el acelerar
el frenar

números extranjeros
cartuchos y fusiles
importados también
atracción instantánea
en el espejo de mi película

el altavoz
emite mensajes
comunicación de metal
entendimiento de ataúdes

dos seres humanos
caminan hacia el sur
los ojos del campo revientan
el movimiento de brazos
traza una línea más en el mundo

desayuno y almuerzo


me despiertan las palabras
que tienen algo ver con el desayuno
creo que sólo dormí 5 minutos

toda la noche un gato gritó
era un aullido que decía

¡miau-nuellllllllllll!

pensé en los rifles que he tenido
en la noches que caminado
en la paciente espera en una colina
o la quietud a la orilla del mar
con una caña de pescar en mi mano

en la mesa
a punto de comenzar a comer
felizmente cafeínado
le digo a mi hijo:
así desayunan los americanos
y mezclamos
la sal
la miel
y el colesterol

PARTIDO


Jugamos un partido mixto
Un partido unisex
Mis niños vs niños de secundaria
Y niñas también

Tu hubiera gustado
Una de ellas anotó gol
Tú también hubieras metido gol
Pero tú hubieras jugado conmigo

Yo me reservé
A mirar el juego
Haciendo mis notas al margen
Me sentí el dueño del equipo

Después la otra niña anotó gol
Los chicos llevaban celulares
En las bolsas de sus pantalones
Tocando música de corridos

NUESTRO PERRO LE SACA LA LENGUA AL MUNDO


Las llaves
¿Dónde están las llaves?
No las encuentro

No se puede salir
De este lugar sin llaves
Bueno —sí se puede—pero no es lo mejor

Las busqué dónde mi memoria me indicó
Y no las encontré
Las busqué dónde mi memoria no me indicó
Y tampoco las encontré

Los niños pateaban el balón
Yo también lo quería patear
Pero las llaves eran lo más importante

Los niños se pusieron a buscarlas conmigo
Tampoco las encontraron
Caminé como perdido
Como extraviado en el desierto

Dando vueltas las encontré
Dando vueltas por un páramo amueblado
Camufladas con las costuras
De alguien que ya no vive

Caminamos por la acera hacia el norte
En dirección al parque
Uno de los niños pateó el balón
Y éste cayó dentro de una escuela

Nuestro perro entró por debajo del cerco
Y pensé: ojalá fuera un labrador perdiguero
Nosotros tuvimos que ir a la puerta de la escuela

El niño explicó la situación
A una mujer de sonrisa manchada
¿Estás seguro que es tu balón?
Preguntó la mujer
Él está seguro y yo también
Fue lo que se me ocurrió decirle

La mujer abrió el candado
Los niños entraron
Fueron y regresaron
Y seguimos nuestro camino
A patadas con el balón

Nos topamos con un perro
El perro que atacó al nuestro la semana pasada
Esta vez el dueño lo llevaba amarrado con una correa
Nuestro perro se lanzó sobre su enemigo y
Le mordió la cola

En el parque mientas pateábamos la pelota
Nuestro perro buscaba pleitos
Con todos los perros que encontraba

Cuando no había más perros en el parque
Nuestro perro corría hacia las casas circunvecinas
En busca de más perros

Nuestro perro es pequeño
Algunos perros se lo pudieron haber comido
Nuestro perro tiene el Complejo de Napoleón
Nuestro perro mueve la cola y sonríe
Cuando causa mucha conmoción
Nuestro perro le saca la lengua al mundo

Mi hijo menor detuvo nuestro perro
Y se le escapo de las manos
Y comenzó a jugar con dos perros más

Mi hijo se puso triste
Sólo quieren jugar le dije
Y él dijo:
Esos perros no se limpiaron la cola

Cuando nos fuimos
No vimos a nuestro perro en ningún lado
Y el niño estaba preocupado
Y le dije que no preocupara
Que el perro está acostumbrado

hurt


it was him
they could no see him
because they were watching me

i could see him
he was behind them
looking at me
gently smiling

they were thinking i was done
thinking they were
going to kill me

i warned them
and they did not believed me
and he got them
from the rear

++++++++++++++++++++++

Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

mist


one abyss
calls another abyss
on the breakfast table

one coyote speaks
to another coyote
on the dried prairie

the knife sinks into the meal
chemical bath spilling on your hands

the radio spits music
the children dance
to songs that beg forgiveness

telepathic thoughts:
ignite the charcoal
in the barbecue grill

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LIGHTER CHARCOAL QT ACE

SPEAKER


Electric language
That’s what you have
On you tongue

You speak poetry
Without know it

Envy burns you
Electrocutes your ego

It makes you cry
And poems drool
Out your mouth

Making you a spiritual child
A choir boy
A candidate to altar boy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Troublesome Bubblegum

SUPERMARKET WHISPER


I rode & the wind
Was greeting my extremities

2 explorers told me:

You need to wear
Suntan lotion in the North Pole
Or the reflection
Of the sun
Will cook you alive

Perhaps it is better
To say goodbye
Hey said

But she didn’t want to go
She tried to hold on
To a vision that was melting

+++++++++++++++

AND SUDDENLY THIS


The yellow jeep
Is out of order
Its hood is up
Its tongue is out

We play in the park
Big dog attacks
Little dog remains
Big dog gets hit

Boys & girls
Eating on the grass
With laughter
As salad dressing

The duplex looks empty
Unlike yesterday
When it all happened
Too soon

+++++++++++++++++++

Black & Decker NST2018 Grass Hog 12-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Electric String Trimmer with 2 Batteries

POLARITIES


A the end of the line there’s water
There’s always water

At the beginning
There’s more water

We come forth from water
We spend our lives
Looking for it

Drinking it
Fighting for it

Contaminating it
Purifying it

Blessing it
Playing in it
Bathing in it

++++++++++++++++

Water, Electricity and Health: Protecting Yourself from Electrostress at Home and Work (Lifeways: Health/Science)

If you drive a car this is a must read book.

USUAL


My dog was barking
For about and hour
Barking nonstop

There was no use in
Looking out the window
I was busy watching
Another show on TV

I knew how it was going to end
The flick on the tube
And the one being broadcasted outside

Gunfire & silence
Then more gunfire
And then more silence
Sirens wailing in the night

***************************

Concealable Body Armor NIJ Level II, X-Large

MORE THAN 5X


6 times
More than 5 times
Six chambers
Are better than five
6 chances vs 5 chances
Cowboy 6
Garter belt 5
5 is number of love
6 the number of death
6 strings vibrate on the guitar
5&6 consecutive integers
A pair of fate
Six plus five equals eleven
The result is: 1 on 1

***************************

God Created the Integers: The Mathematical Breakthroughs that Changed History

4 ROOFS


I like framing the moon in Itoiz
Because it sounds like music
Coming from your soul

We look skyward
And see the moon
During the day
During the night

An all the noisy objects
Obstructing our view
Hanging from the sky

Like nailed experiments
In the heavens

There’s smoke in my hands
And black holes above

The thunder is one more celebration
I love your lighting bolt language
One more touch of your lips

*******************************

DVT101 - Roof Leak Rainwater Diverter - Dim: 5' W X 5' L

urban

a disobedient dog
running from
evening to night
it ran across traffic
across the nerves of the country side
it played with human sensibilities
it played with the darkness
with its white fur
and its wide smile
its canine muscles
being affected by a broken moon
its bark pierced the clouds
its wagging tale
an organic antenna

*********************

How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond

UNIVERSE


Each time I survive
I don’t feel exhausted anymore

Your legs
Were the sentries
Braded on my waist
Pulling me towards you

We sat
On a square
Supported by clouds

We were rocked gently
By the wind
And you kissed me
With the force of a tornado

I took off
I was ejected
Into your universe

A cosmonaut of love
A time traveler
A visitor in your flesh

You are the world
With your sleeping roots
On my skin

************************

The Universe: Collector's Edition Megaset

TATTOO


I want to hire a
The tattoo artist
That paints pigs’ eyes
The color of green

They look less filthy
In that color
It is better than pink

Eco friendly
A fashion statement
With a healthier vision

The color of earth
The jungle on the eye
The forest on the eye
Always in the eye!

************************

ACCORDING TO THE RAIN


Life goes in a cleaner direction
Business gone wrong
Washes away
Towards the sea
A retreating tsunami

Many mistakes
Hurled to the bottom
Of the ocean

Torpedoes that never hit their target
And the drowned folks
Waiting their turn
To tell their story

How they jumped from airplanes
How their ship sank
How they fell from the boat
How they were swimming one nice afternoon

**********************

Weather at War - Pray for Rain

NATURE


I looked back
Over the shoulder of the world
And saw the vegetation
The living miracles
That make this place planet earth

I loved the world
I ate her fruits
And considered her animals

As I pondered such thoughts
I decided to turn around
Walk back
And enter the jungle
Threading gently
Once again

JANE DOE


I always thought
It was a pretty name
Sort of natural and earthy

Soft and smooth
Phonetically speaking

Light and appealing
Pleasing to the ear

Easy to pronounce
Tickling to the lips

Bizarrely innocent
An attention getter

Media friendly
A soothing noun
A comforting replacement

TO BE THE MASTER OF THE KITCHEN


The pork
On the frying pan
Whispers secrets
With its aroma
With sizzling sounds

When it can say anymore
I break some eggs
And pour them
On the fire

I mix them together to make
A high protein breakfast

Salt it always important
Fire always burns everything
Even blackmail

THE SCIENCE OF PLAY


Children play on air
Doing kung fu kicks

Mothers are everywhere
Single mothers
Concerned mothers

Mothers totting children
And defeated husbands

Their faces marked
With the unavoidable
Stain of sadness

The music mixes with chatter
Young fellow laugh at silly jokes
A couple eats heartedly
The both look at me and smile

ROAD SIGN


On the side of the road
There’s an animal
In a state of
Rigor Mortis

It’s knocked to its side
It looks like a statue
Furry fellow

Natural taxidermy
Its coat
Is not discomposed

I want to stop by it
And place it
On its 4 legs
For all to see

DEADLINE


Eating pasta
Is better
With red wine

The red
Stimulates the appetite

The sauce
The tomatoes

A dish stained with red
Red everywhere

On the lips
On the tongue
On the white shirt

Intestines painted red
Organic work for art

UPSIDE DOWN ISLAND


It always rains in an island
24 hours a day
Every day of the year

It is like having
You head inside water
And your legs
Pointing toward
The heavens permanently

When the water
Comes from above
Then there is
A little bit of sweetness

And not just
The taste
The smell
Of salt
All of the time

CERTAINTY


It rains again
And I know this is love

I go back to sleep
As the vibration on the roof
Massages my soul

I am more comfortable than before
Because I can sleep better
More efficiently

This is medicine that tastes like candy
It has your face & your eyes
Your aftertaste

Drops of DNA
Are on my pillow
Remnants of my dreams

VALENCIA


Making love
Is better in Valencia

The atmosphere is proper
Because you don't need
The hindrance of covers

The food has the right ingredients
To celebrate the task of pro—creation

The sea is calm
And there’s no hurry
Just wine & slippery olive oil

The salty taste of love lingers
As it warmly rains outside
And the airplane in the window
Looks like a framed picture

THE LAST BITE


It was on the last bite
That the piece of beacon
Stopped screaming

The burning dish
The smoked varmint
Were just collateral damage

The flavor was never lost
And the spoils from the air

Like rainfall
Like condiments
On your plate

Synthetic clouds
Counterfeited drops
At the push of button

IN DIFFERENT PLACES


In the hospital
As you lay dying
You see the dark shadows
Coming to claim you
As their trophy

In your car
As you wait dying
You see the faces
Of the onlookers
Making of you
A free horror show

In your mind
You are unable to stop those thoughts
That make you think
The unthinkable
The inevitable

BREAKFAST


I like to imagine myself
As some kind of superhero
As I cook pork

This invisible mirror
Gets even clearer
When the kids say

Dad
That aroma
That is very good
What are we eating Dad?

I like to imagine myself
As a 21 century crusader
As I crack eggs
On the side of the frying pan

Thinking I am breaking the balls
Of wicked villains
To eventually be placed together
With the burning swine

MACHETE


The kid wants to play
Thinking he’s an explorer

Conquering new lands
Cutting the brush
That is on his way

Opening his path towards
A world full
Of adventure

He wants to cut the stem
He wants to see
What waits for him
On the other side of the grass
On the other side
Of his comprehensive blade

UNTIL THE EARTH SHAKES AGAIN


Until the ground I am stepping on
Moves under me
Forcing me to dance with it
Making 4’s all over the floor
All over the world

2’s everywhere
Adding up
Watching the demolition
Of aluminum caves

The woman pulling the hair
Of the girl
The man piercing the refrigerator
With heavy metal spear

The aftermath is on the dirt
Ready to be picked up by the wind
And thrust everywhere
Just like shrapnel

SMALL HUNTING


The ship is a witness
As it sits on the night
On the darkness of the Pacific

During the daytime
The leaves fly
Like Lear Jets

During the nighttime
The lights hover
Above the sea

Turning on & off
Competing with the stars
And the high beams of automobiles

The fawn runs
The marathon of her life
On a carpet of dried grass

TOO MUCH


Too much information
Is good
Is bad
Is stupid
Is first class

It is everything you want it to be
It is everything you don’t want it to be
It is not too much wisdom
It is a lot of nonsense

It is just information with oo's and a T

It is the manufacturing of data
It is only lies with funky English
It is what it is
It is what it never was

HISTORY


History is a deceptive word
It conveys the wrong state of mind

Something to take to bed
To help you sleep

It doesn’t suppose to thrill you
But sometimes it does

It should help you rest
But sometimes keeps you awake

History is best
When you write it
As you read it

When you make it
As you wish it

PARTLY DEAD


Every day your are partly dead
Specially in the evening
When you are most near death

At night
Just before falling asleep
You are agonizing

When you close your eyes
And fall asleep
You are dead for sure

If you dream
There is no question
About your demise

When you wake up
If you wake up
You are resurrected
Ready to die again
Many times over

morning medicine


frozen water
wrapped in clear plastic
punctured by invisible icepicks

the birds sing
with mysterious rhythms
all seems too natural

the crystal rock
is moved by force
and it rolls on the dirt
dirt is always better than pavement

the eastern sun
makes of this an artichoke
a birthday wish
a flying airplane running out of gas

KITCHEN


I like the solitude of making breakfast
While the children play
At being heroes elsewhere

I like that feeling
Of working the liturgy of the ingredients
Adjusting the intensity of the fire

I remember camping trips
We would compete for such an honor
It was always a duty to be done alone

Some would smoke as they cooked
Others would look intently at the food
Knowing this would be the last stare
Their last taste of the morning

ONE OF YOUR POEMS


I also remember your embrace
When we were on lockdown
Touching each other without a key

You had me by the neck
And I was pressing on your soul

And both of us were burning
But it didn’t hurt
Like the fire that ignites
The candles of Jerusalem

You were strong
Oh so strong!
I was happy
Because I could love you
Without killing you

We were a rocking ship
And I liked it better
When we were underwater
I know you did too

When I began to lose my breath
Is when I heard the music
Your song
Your melody
Your teardrop

TIME


I saw you there
And I said: god damn!
It has been such a long time!

But you look different
Like I did
And you acted different
Like I do

You were a skater now
And had an earring hanging
From your earlobe

There was still something
That would allow me to “know”
It was you

So I watched you use the skateboard
Outside your parents house

Your folks were sinister
We have been waiting to meet you
They said
Come on in and sit down
I did as I was told

And you were trashing
Your skateboard
Outside the front door

Then we went to witness
The work of the people together
We sat there
In the front rows
Watching the fellows from Africa
Do their thing

I turned my head towards the right
And the light was reflecting
On your silver hoop

And you looked
So cool
Like Ed Bradley

And remembered
That time
When that fellow
With the goatee
Was trying to convinced us
That when we ate nature
We ate God

I WAITED


I walked silently
As silently as I could
After the sound
That almost musical sound

I had my rifle pointing towards it
But it was complete darkness
And I turned on the light under the barrel

The sound stopped
The melody stopped
I stopped and waited in the shadows

Waited like the night waits for daytime
Waited like winter waits for summer
Waited to go to bed & be next to you

Following the lines of your tattoo
With my fingers
Waited like the past
Waits for the future

TIEMPO RETRAÍDO


Camino por el malecón olvidado
Y los seres a mi alrededor
Sujetan botellas de agua
En sus manos

Tienen huecos en sus almas
Igual que yo

Sólo que yo me conformo
Con el agua que está
En la olas de mar
Me gusta más verla que beberla

Los caminantes de la mañana
Me revesan por las aceras
Unos corren
Otros caminan
Todos me pasan

Unos llevan perros
Con cadenas o sin ataduras
Otros sólo pueden jalar las correas de sus vidas

Camino y doy vueltas
Como un avión que hace trucos en el cielo

Al mismo tiempo que veo las rostros de policías asustados
Observando autobuses nuevos que se detienen
Aun lado de sus prisioneros

Y quiero observar toda la escena
Pero también necesito observar la carretera
Porque para entonces estoy detrás del volante
Llegando al último lugar de este momento

Y antes de continuar me doy cuenta que:
Poder escribir un poema
Es poder hacer todas las cosas
Que alguien pueda saber en el mundo entero

MORNING BEAUTY/MORNING FOLLY


The morning has it own kind of music
The low clouds play a peculiar hum
The coffee machine announces liquid love
Crackling in unison with the roosters

Everything seems just right in the morning time
Food & flesh taste better
Even fright is stronger in the morning
Concentrated & reciprocated

Morning beauty
Morning folly

The engine warms up and the car shudders
Darkness dissipates with first kiss
Feet rub together multiplying steps taken by 2
It is when you are awaken that you truly resting

CULMINATION


The mailer
Walked out the Post Office

He looked happy & content
With the bright blue sky
And the shinny sun
That reflected on his eyes

Also in the sky
And airplane with gourmet food

Flying north
Flying Europe
Flying Latin-American

So far away from earth
Orbiting the moon
Finding satellites of gold

LUNCHEON


The table is ready
The corpse had an apple on its mouth

The spectator with a heart attack
On the floor
And the guests ate

As they chewed
She told me not have the surgery
That it will hurt even more

I looked at her hands
Then at her face
Then at her hands again

I asked what should I do
She said to leave it alone

I said okay
And walked outside
As the people ate lunch

burning storm


words rain down like bullets
producing breathing gaps
holes of naiveté

this is a burning storm
gathering its metallic rattle
in soda cans

21 century maracas
convoluted dance of chance
random cries at midnight
amplified by the microphones of the soul

the truck’s flat tires
are spinning moons
throbbing wounds
being recovered by sea salt

SMOKE


She lit up
Looking for that spiritual place
Looking at the city lights
From her smoking terrace

Her thoughts were also on fire
And the ambers oh her brainwaves
Traveled around the world

Intercontinental missiles of desire

Igniting faraway places
Burning laughter away
Bringing out cold water from the faucets
Of western suburbia

Ice compressions in plastic bags
Cortisone cream from the first aid kit
Appointments for face transplants

Improvised songs that chanted:
Everything is gonna be alright

Howling dogs and mad bitches
Overworked engines
And crying witches

The night burned away
At the same time that
Roosters crowed
Coffee brewed
And millions of breakfasts were made

FAST DREAM


The idea of you got me all worked up
Even though I cruised on my bicycle
I did not feel weary or tired
Because I was ready
To love you as soon as I could touch you

I remember one house
But not the other one
The one I entered was the one where you were standing
And I was all over you and you would say:

“Not here”

But it was the wall—you—and—me—
And we got all excited very rapidly

It was like tasting just a little bit of a very good thing
The sort of thing you want much more of as soon as possible

Then I was back on my bike all of the sudden
Thinking of your silhouette and your taste
As I pedaled towards the sunset
Wondering why these things
Always happen to me

I LOVE THE WAY YOU EAT THE AFTERNOON


Preference arrives in different colors
Sitting on public benches
On loaned chairs
Or brand new cars that will end up
In a junk yard

The many moments of our live
Passed us by like city doves
Flying erratically out of the smog

The sun hits the eye
The camera
The sound
The heart inside an ambulance
The thought you had
As you thought you were dying

the best


it is a perfectly good thing
to become your confidant

learning your curves and tricks
like school children

waiting to show-off at recess
eating your schoolmate's food & confidence

i feel bad too you know?
but i just hope for the best
and wish goodness for everybody

even as many die
and many are born
every single day

but when i do it
the best i can
is when i feel alright

i fall asleep
and dream about the good things
life has given me

slowly



slowly caminamos
por las sábanas of your thoughts baby
and it feels perfectamente bien

aunque a veces nuestras piernas touch each other
pero i don´t care
it is your touch que me gusta tanto

i like your pensamientos baby
porque se sienten como fine linen
y tus besos son como de velvet

me gusta atorarme en tus dreams
porque siento que estoy en una movie
en donde les gano a los malos
y me llevo a la pretty girl
y los dos nos sentimos very good

writing your poem


i said i would write a poem
of how much i miss you
the truth is you are with me
and i am with you

to miss you would be to miss myself
and i have myself under this sleeping bag
warm & cozy i have you

if memories hurt is because
we don't understand that we belong together
even if our lips are apart

i've tasted the flavor of your medicine
witnessed the virtue of your presence
i know hurt dissipates with restoration
and pain evaporates with anticipation

deporte


el frío entra
calefactor lo bota
como un balón


negociación

la cama me ve
me invita a descansar
verano espero


el radio

te escucho llorar
reclamos de amor escupes
corriente alterna

la gran decisión
por diego martínez


el día de hoy
hubo un gran problema
por la lluvia
para entrar al restaurante
de comida china

cuando entramos
nos dimos cuenta
que todas las mesas
estaban ocupadas

tuvimos que decidir
a dónde ir
fue difícil
hacer la decisión

corrimos hacia el carro
para pensar mejor
porque en el restaurante
había muchas voces

mi papá y mi hermano
querían ir a la casa del mole
pero yo no quería

le dije a mi papá:
vamos a otro lugar
mi papá:
¿a cuál lugar?
yo no contesté nada

luego nos pusimos de acuerdo
y fuimos a la tapatía
y comimos una buena comida
pero me di cuenta que las luces
del carro de papá
estaban encendidas

y le dije:
papá, las luces del carro
están encendidas
papa:
¿puedes ir a apagarlas?
yo: sí

fui a apagarlas y regresé
mi hermano me preguntó:
¿cerraste la puerta con seguro?
yo: sí
entonces terminamos de comer
y nos fuimos a casa

dos


te amo en 2 lenguas
because you taste like the night
sabor a las estrellas que adornan la oscuridad
te amo con los movimientos de mis labios
they keep the beat from my heart baby
and my heart is tu corazón

i remember your bilingual taste
¡y me gusta!
me gusta mucho honey

te amo con dos lenguas
mejores que las de un dragón
your love is fuerte baby
mora powerful que una bomba
una lengua del sur y una del norte

que se chocan
que se amarran
que atan mi rostro
junto a tus piernas
and you have killer legs baby

te amo con 2 manos con 2 piernas
i love you with every breath
con cada lágrima cada diente
and you taste like the salt de la noche
my taste buds saben a ti
saben a sol de un sunny day
saben a la lluvia de tu amor

despacio


te amo
por el otro lado
de mi realidad

te quiero
cuando tienes sueño
cuando el enfado
cansa tus ojos

te deseo
cuando se detienen
los momentos

te poseo
en los cuentos agotados
en este incierto
semáforo de la vida

love in california


i write a poem when i ride a bicycle
i see the world turning
on my front wheel

i pass the ice cream parlor
and think chocolate
bubble gum & rocky road

i have this memory
and i holdfast to it
it is mine

you can exercise in your sleep
and you can make of this image
whatever you want
like love in california
like sleeping in the afternoon

yesterday



just 3 cars in the city
and the 3 are about to collide
so i enter the supermarket
and i see a nurse buying
fruits & vegetables

he could be a doctor
but if i had to guess
i say he's a nurse
in spite of his goatee

i walk to the bakery
and pick 4 pieces of bread
the clerk puts them in a paper bag
as he tells his coworker
a pretty mexican girl
he'll buy a car to gain her love

i walk back to my shopping cart
and find 2 identical carts side by side
with the same items in them
and i take the one that feels alright
no use thinking to much about it

i walk the supermarket aisles
and noticed the smiles being flashed at me
i respond in kind
better not fight it
it is good to be happy

fingers on the counter-top


the forms have the flavor
of a subtle memory of commerce

i'm trying not to walk too much on it
because the ice is breaking
and the water is growing
in age & in wisdom

water has seniority
over the land
over the world
over anything that moves

drips of water & blood
land on my tongue
i can speak
all the languages of the world now

free-fall


they fell down the stairs
like christmas ornaments

like ripe watermelons
hitting the floor at random

traveling units of muscle
flying like ufo's out of control
crashing on the mason's gray-matter

bursting open like mexican flower pots
on the children's playground
grounded forever

fertilizing desire
growing future
on the killing floor
on the 3rd world dancing floor

away


i can't type
my hand does not respond

another injury
another sigh

hope to be back
as soon as possible

meanwhile
i will stop and listen

and learn
from my left side

look at my left fingers
and see if they dance like the right-ones

look at you nose
and find a 7 upside down

WRISTS


My wrists
Feel like rag dolls

Moved by wind
By the ocean’s breeze

Exercised by the force of water
Frequented by telephonic messages

My wrists
Feel like my best friends

Like my family
Like my love

Rest that never comes
Membership of circumstance

An old bed supporting planets
A wrinkled piece of paper with a number

DREAMING


Your touch
Ignites my night
With dreams

Your dreams
Clutch my jugular
With force

You kick
Like a soccer player
Mad with a soothsayer

And I say to you
Easy baby
This is only the beginning

Go easy honey
And you’ll have all my loving

pneumatóforo


reconozco los caminos accidentados
los conozco como la palma de mi mano

como cada cicatriz
donde estallaron las bombas
de los anhelos
las fantasías administradas
por visiones y televisiones

camino la devastación de sueños truncados
de bicicletas descompuestas
entre un viento que empuja polvo metálico

en todo esto se esconde la esperanza
y me siento acosado

dicha clandestina que viene hacia mí
como una locomotora
cargada con hechizos

BREATHING SILVIA


Music in images
Images in sounds

The sun goes
Into the water
As I enter you

Half the ball of fire
Is in the Pacific
I taste a fraction of your love

We dance in your DNA
Your eyes play the soundtrack

Your body entices sleeping
The rhythm of your hair
Your lips hidden in my neck
Your touch is forever