A GOOD WRITER

Jim Vaca
Was the best writer
In college
He won awards
And his picture
Was published in
The news papers
I liked him
We would talk
About writing
And poetry
And intriguing stories
Jim was gifted
And Jim was poor
(Blessed are the poor
Someone famous once said)
Years later
I saw him
On a public bus
He seemed homeless
And in need
I wish
I had done
More to help him.

LOS EMPLEADOS

Son como los osos
Del bosque
Cuando se comen
Las hamburguesas
De los turistas.

ESCARNECEDOR

Su risa
Lo asemeja
A un perro
Con la lengua
De fuera

NON GRATA

I open the door
And adversity comes in
I try not to yawn
To keep it out

I SAID

I have
The best wife
In the whole world
It’s only your opinion
They said
It’s the only opinion
Than matters to me
I said.

DRIVING WITH LUKAS

I ask
My 4 year old
What he’s thinking
I can see his face
In the rearview mirror
His eyes
Are soft
Like honey
Relaxed
Dreamy
The ocean
He answers
I look through
The car’s window
And the water
Is beautiful.

NOVEMBER 2ND 2004

The owner
Of the internet café
Had a dream
A nuclear blast hit the US
He said
A lot of gringos
Where moving
Down here
To Baja Mexico
He spoke nonchalantly
As we watched
The election results
On a TV
Than hangs from the wall.

A CULTURE OF DEATH

On the day
Of the death
Bush secured
The White House
Winter began early

NOSOTROS

La calavera
Somos tú y yo
En el futuro
Hay que amar
Las calaveras.