THE PROFESSOR


I was thinking
About the snake a killed

As the speaker
An older scholarly
Looking lady said:

We have to something
About the many children
Killing little animals

Earlier she had smiled at me
As I took a glass
Of red wine from the table

Now she stood with
A microphone in her hand
Pleading with her voice

AUTUNM WALK


La piedra
tiene 7 caras
7 formas de herir
Contemplaba esto
Mientras caminaba

And this time
A Chevy Truck
Sopped next to me
With 2 Mexican
Cowboys inside
The driver said:
I’ll take you there

Pero hice
la señal de adiós
Con la mano

And his face
Looked bewildered
And he drove away
Following the same route
Of the black car

Seguí mi camino
Pensando en
Cuál de las 7 caras
Duele más

DINNER


It is a fact
He said
That is being made
In Obregon

But I ate toasted bagels
With sliced tomatoes
And virgin olive oil

I told him
That peanut better
And marmalade
Are good too

It was late at night
And coffee was brewing

Only one channel is working
He said as he looked
At the toaster

I told him he could add
More ingredients
If he wanted to

That only works
In the day he said

GOOD IDEA


There was a knock on my door
I recognized the peculiarity of the sound
It conveys the same effect
That I have used many times before

It asks:
Are you okay?

I did not wanted to multiply
The sense of preoccupation
So I incorporated from bed
And opened the door
But there was no one there

The day was cloudy
Overcast and heavy
A confirmation of my desire
To stay indoors and hibernate
From the changing stations
Of the world

I raised my voice and said:
I am okay

And a voice replied:
There’s breakfast
If you want something to eat

I said thank you
Closed my door
And went back to bed
Listened the radio
And considered it
A very good idea

SECOND NATURE


Thunder lingers outside
And the luxury of peace
Is in shortage

The carpenter hits the nail
The doctor makes an incision
The mechanic turns a screwdriver

They war with their vocations
Their tools & instruments
Their hopes & dreams
Their fears & tears

Movement is detected outside
And is either rest or death
A smile or a cry
Or both at the same time

Intention is spotted outside
A twist to the stomach
A taste of distress
With the pre-confusion of existence
Automatic efforts of survival

AGAVE DREAMS


I entered through your lips
Injected images forbidden by many
I did this for you

I saw your eyes
Turn to combustion
Ferocious glance
And I liked it

I tasted your love
It was the most
Human of all love

I consulted the plant
And nature confirmed
How much I love you
Now I wait

MORNING WALK


The house has 6 rooms
He told her
It is a large house
And it is where
We are going to live

I kept walking
Trying to keep the sand
From getting inside
My shoes

It is nice
He continued
Telling his companion
A young attractive girl
About the place
We all are going to live there
He said

They were practically
Walking behind me
And the guy’s bragging
Was disturbing my walk
My peace
My intentions
My thinking up a poem

I slowed my pace
And let them pass me
And their chatter
Went away with them

I stopped
To look at a short dog
Running towards the waves
Coming in and out
Of swallow water
Diving against the waves

I continued with my walk
And noticed the chatter couple
With wet tennis shoes
And wet ankles
And he said to her
How aggressive is the sea

TU ADN

tu adn
quedó en mis cicatrices
como vitamina e

en mis manos
en mi corazón
en mi conciencia
como remedio del alma

como cuando
el amor despierta
de una siesta

como la recuperación
de un significado perdido
que se transporta
en un portafolios de piel

PATIANCE


The ocean was the examining table
The mountains
The chairs were patients sat

Being on the air is tempting
When asked for advice
Tell them what can make them
Better human beings

Don’t’ tell them that
Which can hurt them

Not keeping your feet on the ground
Comes at a price
It might be a bargain for reality
Or the comfort or togetherness & love
It may be offspring growing like trees

SHIP


The boom
Was felt by the sand
By the little fish
In the sea

By the sharks
By the joggers
And the walkers

It made the algae vibrate
And the dog’s ears perked up

It made me tingle inside
It made me smile

It was a big boom!
And the autumn weather
Felt like summer

CYCLES


The bicycle wheels
Hit the pavement
Like bats hitting intelligent-baseballs
That ricochet towards the best places in the world

The children delivered
Like they always do
That’s why God wants them around

The bicycle wheels
Turn benefits into headlines
Spin sadness away

Rotate despondency
Like a bozo with bad makeup
Make wishes fit into tight places
Move intentions forward

THE ART OF TRANSLATION


Apply fire
To the sentences
Bite each word
Till it bleeds a little
Till you can taste
The saltiness of
Their medium-rare symbolism

Feel the meaning
But most importantly
That which is being translated
Must feel the transformation

The beautiful & painful transmutation
The breaking on
The body of the message
Where organic wings
Will grow like a teenager in love

Do it repeatedly
Till it becomes better
Than the original product

Till it becomes so beautiful
That the readers are blinded
By its brilliance
Because it burns the eye
Like the sun
Like a flame of blue propane
Like the infernos
That give meaning to firefighters

And when it is done
Do it again

Till it shines like gold
Till it screams
Beautiful poems at you
Till you are exhausted
Till it is exhausted
Till you have tears of pride
Running down your cheekbones
Till it has tears of appreciation
Building reservoirs in its soul
And when this is done
Do it again

BLACKBOARD


The guitar scales expressed it better
I say it is only seafood
With lime and salsa
Onions and cilantro
Tortillas and spices
The table is set

And the rearview mirror
Serves a different dessert
A small taste of madness

The green lights
Guide the way like runways
Like studio audiences
Graciously laughing
They all travel towards you

WATER & BLOOD


A sea of algae
An ocean
Producing for
The markets of suspicion

Water is in a glass
Water in your body
Water in my heart

Water dancing
In the clearness
Of the crystal

Water with salt
Closing the openings
Gapes breathing
Gapes expiring

FLEX


High tide in the morning
Sand & water
Like newlyweds

A pacific seal
Decorates the event
With ornamental punctures
On it body

The dog
Lays in the boardwalk

Her owner
Pleading with it
Begging it to get up
To continue the march

We the walkers
Watch the spectacle

EARTHQUAKE


Yesterday as I walked
The earth shook

The dust under my feet
Vibrated in love
With the comets
That were falling

Entering the caves
Of the planet

Signaling the path
Of my journey

Preparing the landing
Of messages
That were floating outside
The international Space Station

MESSAGE


My fingertips manipulated the messages
That would eventually show you the light
That would reflect in your eyes
That would make you aware

My steps lifted the dust for your path
Away from your direction
Away from your discretion
I made it clear
That you don’t need telescopes to see

The metallic sound was just protection
Insulation from lighting bolts
A sense of security
An illusion of defense

The police cruiser on the corner
Glittered with curious apprehension
I stepped on the gas pedal
As if my huarache sandal
Was pressing on your face

The rearview mirror
Speaks of the past as triumph
As miles per hour
In your escape
As the metric fall
Of your garrulity

I met my advisor on the road
While thinking of green oil
I bought him a drink
And stated my case for love

DRIVE HOME


The road at night
Is like an unforgettable photograph
Moving with the reflection of lights

The music in the car
Makes for perfect discoveries
The creation of new memories
And the newness of your labyrinth

I could be behind the wheel
On this motorized desire
And be happy in darkness

With the movement of your legs
With the free intentions of survival
With the remembrance of your taste
With the side effects of your embrace

STEPS


A warrior
Studying the next plan of attack

Lovers
Kissing on a natural bed

I have
Been both of them
Plenty of times

Both realities
Are the same

What is best
Is the definition of happiness:

Children kicking
The red ball
On a green field

THE MOON


I saw the moon today
At the warehouse
Walking towards me and trying
So desperately trying
To pull on a shopping cart

I saw the moon today
On it last efforts
With a bloated face
With the makeup of distress
I tried to smile
Or say hello
But that would only
Make things worse

I saw the moon today
And I remembered
Happier times
When we would argue
About WWII rifles

I saw the moon today
On a commercial intersection
Ready to t-bone me
So I looked at it
And it looked away
It blended away
It went away
It disappeared
In the aisles of merchandise