REQUEST


At the store
A customer asks
For pork
Without the spices

But butchers
Like to
Sell them
With the casings
They come
In links

LAS VÍAS DEL TREN


Ding dong
Ding dong
Ding dong
Cantan las campanas
Destellos en rojo
Pasa un cholo
Manejando el trolley
Oprime el claxon

TORCIDO DE CHOCOLATE


The border agents
Are almost there

They are about
To kiss
The hands
Of efficiency

Today I was stopped
Questioned
Searched

Sent to secondary inspection
Searched & questioned again
And then released

And I still had time
To stop at the donut shop
To eat another delicious
Chocolate twist
Sugar tastes best
In the morning

BACKWARDS


Ron Cohn
You didn’t have to lie
You didn’t have
To say you are Catholic
It’s okay if you are Muslim
Or Jewish
Buddhist
Hindu
Or whatever
I wanted to help you anyway
I was actually
Starting to like you

I knew something
Was wrong when
I saw you wearing
Your sweater backwards
And as a friendly gesture
I let you know

Just like I let you know
About the bugs in
Your store

And since we are
On the subject
Of knowing
Your stores are also
Backwards

And no matter how
Much ice
You put on
The dead fish
They’re not going
To resurrect

You want me
To speak to your wife?

I thought
Since you are now wearing trousers
(green ones)
You are the man
To talk to
Are you?

And even though
I am living below
The poverty level
With the wages
You are paying me
I still can’t help
And tell you
Not to change
The color of
Your shirt
More than once a day

You might start
To look like food

I tell you Ron
And the Lord is my witness
Your store is filled
With those who
Live by the following motto
Eat or Die!

STANDING RIB


¿Dónde aprendió?
I asked
¿Dónde aprendiste tú?
He replied
En mi casa
I said
Yo también
He responded
But he said it
With a
Patriarchal authority
I laughed
And then he said
Está fácil

The lady who ordered
The standing rib
Had a parish smile
When she saw the package
She said
Doesn’t it look beautiful?

Most of the time
The finish product
Has that feature
But on the bloody table
It looked alive to me

The Spanish speaking customer
Also ordered spicy pork
He wanted the fresh ones
(Pink ones)
Made a comment
About the old ones
(Darker ones)
I was going to tell him
The more seasoned they are
The better they taste
I kept quiet

INDISTINGUIBLES


El árbol
Que está por mi casa
Se sacude violentamente

Escucho el canto
De los pajaritos
Música de procreación

Uno de ellos
Sale disparado
Como una saeta

El halcón lo persigue

No era un canto de amor
Era un grito de guerra

A veces los sonidos
De los deseos
Y las batallas

Son indistinguibles