A GAME?

Who would think
The store
Would become
A game board
And that
The nights & rooks
Would be killed
By pawns
The queen has
Grown fins
And remains smiling
The bishops
Cry and pray
The king has become
A mate

DISCOVERIES

I found Ginger
Hiding behind
A new—man
And she said
To me
I am you
And I took her
And helped her
Back to her place
Then I found
A delicate Chinese cup
Hiding behind Pamela
She has pretty colors
Blue & green
And I also helped her
Back to her place
She said something to me
But a couldn’t understand her
But I suspect
It was some type
Of tanka or maybe
Even a haiku
And behind
The blue diamonds
I found this Beautiful
Cinnamon—like Italian
Her name
Matilde Vicenzi
She was so pretty
I didn’t want
To let her go

EL PROFETA

El tiempo
No se detiene
Mi querido abuelo
Sí lo podía detener
Y lo almacenaba
Dentro de una botella

Nos decía
Con una sonrisa
Que era agua bendita

Y derramaba
Un poco del contenido
A través del barandal
De su balcón
Para los perros
Que se congregaban abajo
Refugiándose de los
Rayos ultravioleta

Y mi hermano
Y yo
Entonábamos carcajadas
Nos comunicábamos
Con sonrisas
Sin dientes
Como la de él

Nuestros dientes
De leche
Siempre fueron
Dispositivos
De felicidad
Números escritos
Con el puño y letra
De Dios

Sí
Mi abuelo
Sabía detener
El tiempo

SYMBOL

An open door
Might not be
A gesture
That welcomes
It could be the
Mouth of a sepulcher
A feast
Of indigestion

INSPECTOR BLANCHARD
HE SAID HE WAS THE SUPERVISOR

Carta Blanca
Is a Mexican beer
That goes best
With cigarettes

I am sorry
If I flicked
My ashes on you
I didn’t mean
To do it

It’s not that
I wasn’t thinking
It’s just that
I hardly ever
Have Carta Blancas

You were standing there
Under the HOT sun
Looking at all
That traffic
But that’s how
The border is

Maybe you should
Have a cold one

Come on man
Take it as compliment
Good writers
Add ashes
To their beverages
For courage

I will think of you
Real hard
I promise
Next time I
Have a cold drink

FROZEN BUG

A customer
Told me
There was
A dead bug
Inside the
Ice—cream case
But it was
Not dead
Only frozen
I informed
The person in charge
And hoped
And prayed
That he would
Get some light
Into what it is
And how to
Dispose of it
But it would take
A miracle
And it
Never came
Because there
Is no good faith

DARING

A girl
From next door
(The blue store)
Came to our case
And bought a lot
Of huevos
From our store
The next day
I saw an
Albertson’s car
In full use
Inside Henry’s

EXCHANGE OF WORDS

The lady
In black
Walked slowly
Through my aisle
Hello how are you?
I greeted her
She answered
I am pretty decent
And it looks
Like you are too

EMPLOYER & EMPLOYEE

Come on!
Look man
I am not
An exterminator
You pay me
To clean the dust
And the dirt
In your joint
And that is
What I do
Since I am
A courteous man
I had gotten
Rid of some bugs
For you
But this will stop
Because working outside
Is not
Working things out

¿QUESTION MARKS?

He asked me
What kind
Of bugs
I had found
I did not
Want to scare him
After all
He’s still
The owner
I did not want
To tell him
That those are
The 1’s
That reproduce
Themselves
That they
Can survive
A nuclear explosion
I did not have
The heart
To tell him
They were planted
That they arrived
Inside a can

THE ARC

The man on
The presidential ship
Has ordered
1 case of
Russian dressing
He knows
There’s nothing
More slippery
Than a jar
On resurrection day
This church
Floats on
The waters
Of salvation

CHERRIES

Cherries in
A bag
Each of them
Is holy
Tainted red
They all look
Like beautiful
Santo Domingo
Every one of them
Is a sunny day

SMALL TALK ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS

Grape—seed
Helps with
The inflammation
Of language
I am 50
She said
You look 30
I replied
Well thank you
I think
I’ll take
You home

THE WOMAN WITH THE FLOWER DRESS

Any of you
Speak English?
I looked up
And saw a lady
I wanted to
Get away from
My coworkers
So I said I do
She was wearing
A dress of summer
And she held
1 key with 2 fingers
She asked me
I would
Help her open
Her car
I stood up from the bench
And walked
Towards her
I can’t open the door
She said
I told her
I would be gad to help
She smiled and added
Maybe you have the magic touch
I took the key form her hand
And we both walked
Towards her automobile
Away form
The smoking area
Under the tree
Her car was
A midsize white sedan
I placed my cup of coffee
On the hot pavement
And inserted the key
Turned it both ways
As I pulled
On the door handle
And the door opened
Thank you
She said with a
Maternal smile
How did you do it?
You just need
To play with it
But be gentle
She said God bless you
And then she drove away

THE CLOCK

To Salvador Dalí

Señor Dalí
If only
You could see this
I have found
One of
Your clocks
It hangs above
The exit door
Inside that
Organic store
In Chula Vista
It looks like
A spiritual perspective
It follows
Hispanic time
It makes this market
Even more surreal
I wish you could
Contemplate this place
It looks like
One of your paintings
You see
I was given
A hot bowl
Of soup
It had spice
And I didn’t
Know it
So I added
More spices
And ate
From it
And the aftermath
Created traffic
Under a bright
Hot sun
And it was
Slow
Slow
So very
Slow
You always
Believed your work
Should be
For royalty
And I know
You can see
What I am
Talking about
From that place
Where you stand

THE DOCTOR

When I was a child
I remember visiting
My friend’s house
I would find their dad
A physician
Watching cartoons
With his children
They liked
Popeye the sailor man
They would have
So much fun
Adults would mock the doctor
For enjoying caricatures
I saw him & his wife
At the store
The other day
He walked a little bit slower
He seemed a little bit tired
I wanted to thank him
For helping me
Wit my accident
I wanted to tell him
That I also watch cartoons
With my children
But I just said hello
I decided to use only
Good manners

BELLY BUTTON

Along time ago
A young
Blond woman
Showed me
Her pierced navel
Outside the store
Today a middle-aged
Blond woman
With lost of cleavage
Lifted her blouse
To show me her
Pierced umbilicus
Inside the store

ESO—ES

The whole store
Dances under
The electric lights

THE CALL

They came
To the bench
Under the tree
The place of
Tobacco mist
1, you have a call
It’s an emergency
I walked fast
Towards the telephone
I found 2 mermaids
One was
Clapping her hands
The other said
It was Miss America
And she wants a date

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The firemen
Are inside
The store
They’re shopping
And talking

With mobile phones
While the place
Is burning

THE COOK

She asked me
To help her look
For pasta with a heart
We both searched
A galaxy of branded names
They were inside
Plastic bags
I want to help her
Find that organ
It will make
A good supper

CHINESE PROVERB

A bird does not sing
Because it has an answer
It sings because it has a song

IT CUTS THE TAIL OFF THE WEEKEND

I saw an
All American home
Taken away
Driven away
With expensive oil
The bottle
Of wine exploded
Spilling red
Up on the floor
Shattered pieces
Of sand
Sailed on
The wet linoleum
It’s just
A brown mix
A fat free product
The instructions
Say to add water

RON,

Importance is
At the end
Of the week
The negotiations
With your managers
And your HR lady
Have been fruitless
So I write to you
And ask you
To consider
The situation
After all
You are a family man
Like I am
You are a working man
The same as I
Let us work it out
Sincerely
1

DEMAND

The lady
In black
Insists on
Arabic products

TITLE

The scribe
Is unrelenting
He encourages me
To submit
My book
To the publishers
I think
I’ll call it
“The Store”

SUNDAYS

The fire
Is love
A day
Of the sun
It brings warmth
To the heart
When we
Work against it
It burns
The tissues
Of enterprise

caldo de pollo

las palabras son puentes

como leche de cabra

gallinas en palanque

sin galleros

el sonido del mar

entona canciones populares

y casi puedo jurar

que la vida tiene más sabor

la clienta me dijo

que lo pusiera en venta

porque la fecha

de caudicación

está próxima

se vence en septiembre

del 06

WATERS!

You can float
On salt water
Sweet waters
Are treacherous

4 of us
Tried to swam
Across a river
The woman swimming
Next to me
Fell behind

I was not able
To save her
1 of my friends
Rescued her

¡AGUAS!

A veces
El agua dulce
Es más peligrosa
No sucede así
Con el agua salada
Porque en el mar flotas

Éramos 4
Los que intentábamos
Cruzar el río
La mujer que
Nadaba a mi lado
Se quedó atrás
Y yo no
Pude salvarla

Pero 1
De mis amigos
La rescató

NEWSPAPER

The man on
The bench
Shows me
His papers
He says he’s
Waiting to
Go inside the office
Just news
Bad news

COMPRADODRES

los clientes
en busca de semillas
unos las piden
para sembrar
y las hay:
de mostaza
de cilantro
de amapola
dentro de bolsas
de plástico
están colgadas
como adornos navideños
en vísperas
de verano

HEATSTROKE

Climate changes
Affect all things
Dirty cans
Become dirt free

Pico de Gallo
When added
To a fruit cocktail
Ignites an explosion
Of Californian tongues

The Cockroaches
Are hiding
Inside the log

A ghost
Knocked down
The bottles
Of oil

The man
With the tank
By his side
Gave me
Health instructions

Ginger….
Ginger…
Ginger…
I can feel you
But I can’t see you
Are you bilingual?

Palmas turned
To salsa
And this market
Sells no batteries

All this energy
Can’t be collected

A GREEN POEM

Is not good
To have green
In your mind
When it grows
It makes you
Push the wrong people
When this happens
It is time
To cut the
Green grass
Out of your system
To cut it away
From your neighbors

WORKING WITH HEART

Gabriela has found
A mix that cracks
And day dreams
Under the clouds

Then a hello
With a sugar face
Comes sailing
Through the corridor

Zé—Molina
Is a hidden flower
A pine fall
Crushed an apple

The express lanes
Are closed
2 seedless watermelons
From Mexico
Appeared in my cart

The steady
Cooling mist
Is not quenching
The fire

I was asked
For a drink
That insures
But there’s none
On the shelves

I pray
For celestial flavors

MAR—MITES

Now the

Sea of eyes
Focus on
Goat’s milk
&
The clipboard
Becomes
A boiling potato

ARINA

Una flor
De arroz blanco
Investigación
De dulces
Una raíz en aire
La tienda
Está en el centro
De un
Triángulo amarillo

T SHIRTS

I was given
The garment
It comes with apples
Oranges & wheat

On the other hand
I have purchase
On credit
Two AAA
100% cotton
Made in Mexico
Of USA fabric
With a clean slate

Kale like spinach
Is followed
For health

Coconut water
Gives surgeries
To rock stars

But in the
Navy of Eden
A girl & a boy
Eat a hot meal

GOING HOME

The horsemen
Are eating radishes

I know the blood they spill
Fills many
Organic bottles

It makes me feel
Like selling my poems
To the highest bidder
And going back
To Mexico

Ezekiel’s bread
Has no preservatives
So it’s kept in the freezer

I can’t find
Kosher salt

The Codo Grande
Becomes a Codito

The market is burning
The fire department
Can not see
Invisible flames

I asked for rain
But instead
The impurities
Are being treated
With fire

PERISCOPE CANTO

I see
Italian oil
In metal containers
Love holds fast to them
Like paint
I see processed honeys
Displayed to the market
Waiting for
Brave customers
I see
Sweet & tangy
Yellow bottles
I see
A tattooed man
On the hunt
For Ruda
I have found
A Dynasty
Of mushrooms

FARAÓN AND HIS INGREDIENTS

I found them everywhere
They are
Small and red
Black and pinto
Extra long grain rice
Extra fancy
Black eye peas
Garbanzos with
Red kidneys
White corn
With Nacho Cheese
And spicy jalapeños
I looked for the man
That can kill giants
With 1 stone
But he closed his door
On me
A pink lady
Told me:
“He has too much on his plate”

CHOKING ARTERIES

They approach me
And ask
For the Quaker man
The man of Oats
The one that
Turns everything
Into a meal
They come
Armed with
Checks of rain
And the mutants
Ask for
Unsalted foods
But I can’t
Take my mind off
The salt of the earth
I have been given
A list
Of mermaids
The ones in
The front lines
The witch doctor said:
Sun dried tomatoes
Taste very good
With artichoke hearts

EN ESPECIAL

en chula vista
se venden
las papas
más baratas

RON COHN INC.

I never seen
So much business
In a grocery store
So many accidents
People running over
Each other
So much hunger
For returns
The clients
Walk like zombies
Looking for
Poppy Seed products
There’s much Traffic

SOY LECHE

Soy del occidente
También del oriente
Soy del norte
Y soy del sur
Soy una almendra
Sin azúcar
Soy vainilla
Con vitamina D
Soy orgánico
Soy de cabra
Pero no soy cabrón
Soy lite
Y soy una
Fortificación de proteínas
Soy un sueño
De chocolate
Soy la perla de junio
Soy del Edén
Soy de vida
Y soy ultra sencillo
Soy de ceda
Y soy azul
Soy verde
Soy blanco
Soy rojo
Soy negro
Soy amarillo
Soy café
Soy púrpura

“Yo le canto a los saldados de la tierra, los que empuñan la bandera con honor”

Los Tigres del Norte

A GUITAR & A NEW SONG

1
Your kiss flows
Grander than
The Niagara Falls

2
Living streams
From the mountaintops
Purify transgressions

3
They will clean
The wounds
Of the children
Of many languages

4
Lord almighty!
I will not forsake
Your teachings
I will continue
To do what is good

5
Protect the innocent
Bystanders
May your cleansing
Be like
The ocean breeze
And not like the desert sun

5
Glory be
To God
For all things

6
Give me
A new song
And make my guitar
Like a harp

7
May its music
Straighten
the infirmities
of my friends
And my foes

8
May each chord
Bring healing water
May each strum
Brings disinfection
To the operation table

9
May it bring
Victory
And peace

10
May there
Be dancing
In the rain

11
May the tempo
And its rhythm
Be deciphered
In a melodic miracle

LAS BOLSAS

las que sostienen
los frutos de la tierra
no resisten la presión
del tesoro
que custodian
esas hermosas
frutas y verduras
legumbres y vegetales
sucumben ante los
defectos de fabricación
ante las leyes de gravedad
fue una mala idea
emplear plástico
ruedan por el piso

en un mercado de miedo

SOLILOQUIO DEL TRIGO

siento mucho
que nuestras realidades
sean como rocas ásperas
ya no son
lisas ni bellas
como en el principio
que pena
que las baterías de nuestra respiración
se estén descargando
que lamento
tan más proletario
y pensar que
los pequeño burgueses
creen que los psiquiatras
pueden solucionar
los achaques
del corazón
por mi parte
intento no pederte
así como me aferro
a mi idioma natal
bautizado en un caló orgánico
que se reproduce
en los vocablos
de los escolares
más sinceros
a mi alrededor
todo está cambiando
quizá es la cercanía
de la muerte
o un chantaje
de la memoria
se me olvidó
como hacer el amor
en tu idioma
y creo que esto amerita
las lagrimas más agridulces
estancadas en la
cisterna de mi alma

SOLILOQUIO DEL MAÍZ

me gusta amarte
porque te conozco toda
tus cualidades
y debilidades
tú eres un mapa
sobre mi mesa
puedo ver
todas tus zonas
y esto me hace
quererte con más fuerza

THE REFRIGERATOR

There used to be
A refrigerator
In the break—room
It kept food
Safe and cold
That cool storage unit
Was taken away
By The Management
The charge was:
“It was not kept clean”
The guys running the show
Never understood
The whole business
Needs to be disinfected
So now the workers
Place their food
In an even smaller box
And try to
Kill any bacteria
With microwaves
They appeal
To radiation
Now it is hot
And dangerous
To the tissues
Of industry

ICE—CREAM

Today it was
Good reality
Better than
Good liquor
Its sweetness
Brings forth
Your potential
Delicious possibility
Sitting next to me
Your friendship
Is not cold
To my mouth
My taste buds
Study the ramifications
Of your exquisiteness
Your image is
In my iris
I eat from
Your spoon
This is better
Than an aperitif

THE SOLDIER

I was walking
I don’t remember
Why I wasn’t
Driving a cross the border
Don’t remember
What happened to my car
I waited in line
Amongst drunk tourists
And elderly travelers
Single mothers
And their
Charismatic infants
We were standing
Next to a sign
That informed us
About the
Surveillance cameras
And we waited
Our turn
To be questioned
We have our
Passports and cards
And id’s
And birth—certificates
In our hands
It must have been
In the late 80’s
Or early 90’s
The time period that is
Not the temperature
It wasn’t that hot
Back then
I watched as people
Put their bags
On the conveyer belt
To be x—rayed
Customs and immigration agents
Looked at documents
And repeated questions
When it was my turn
I smiled at the inspector
And handed him my card
He frowned
Threw at me a dirty look
And yelled
National Guard!
Then he pointed towards
A young fellow
Wearing fatigues
Who was searching luggage
I felt betrayed
I felt a knot in my stomach
I felt like a prisoner
Of war
Even though I wasn’t at war
With anyone
The guy in camo
Finished his inspection
He looked like
A musician
He was about my age
And I thought
He probably played
Bass guitar
With a lot of feeling
Drums with an
Exceptional touch
Of rhythm
Or maybe like
Lenny Kravitz
He played all
The instruments
So I just stood there
Trying not to
Look him in the eye
I didn’t say anything
He didn’t say anything
But he had a peaceful
Look in his face
After a moment of silence
I decided to ask him
“What about me?”
“What about you?”
He replied
I waved him goodbye
He waved back
He was cool
Way cooler than
La migra and
The border patrol

IRONY

As I
Make love
To you
Somebody is
Getting shot
As I
Penetrate you
Someone
Bleeds to death
If we have
Another sun
I will name him
After them

ENERGÍA

La danza del venado
O la del perrito
La de la tortuga
O los pingüinos
La de las lágrimas
Y sonrisas
O carcajadas
Todo da igual
Todo es lo mismo
Es un zapateado
Y el significado de
Danzar o bailar
O tirar patadas
O brincar
Sollozar o alegrarse
Es similar
Se hace
Con la
Misma energía
Y de la misma forma
Nos cansamos

A POEM TO THE SD READER

Don’t take out
The poetry
It is the better
Part of you
San Diego
Needs poesy
That medicine
That helps keep
The balance
Of wellbeing
A border town
Without poetics
Becomes ill

Canción popular

Allá en la fuente había un chorrito se hacía grandote se hacía chiquito. Estaba de mal humor, pobre chorrito tenía calor.


MOVEMENT

The water
Becomes blue
The international constructers
Building the bridge
To the marketplace
Have finished
Their handiwork
And the angels
Keep flying
Making circles
Around the sun

PROXIMITY

There’s a giant ship
Coming to shore
From international oceans
It has many beds
For weary minds
It’s a hospital
An immaculate cathedral
Its antennas
Can not be stolen
Fortress of the sea
Protectorate of
Mistreated children
Those brave
Innocent captains
Working on
Emerald waters

THE MEXICAN CASE

A case full
Of friendship
A diplomatic case
A case that creates fellowship
Where there was none

A naturalized case
And organic gift
That heals the
Wounds of the people

A case that will
Illuminate the
Households that
Are in darkness

A case of an
Antenna & a radio
On the rooftop
Where families can transmit
Friendly messages

A case that will
Stop the morning coldness
Because it is insurance
For hardworking people

A case that will
Make Sundays
Sunny Days

A case that
Will create medicine

A case that will
Bring families together

A case that
Brings protection
From the elements

A case that
Can beat
The watch

A case necessary
For peace

DEOGRACIAS

Thank God!
There are
Still good people
Walking the
Straight líneA

MAYDAY

The day belongs to us
It doesn’t matter if it rains
The sun always exists
That floating sphere of fire
Vitamins for the universe
Warming the hearts
Of our people
Our prayers
Are being answered
We are the pilgrims
Of the world
The ultraviolet rays
Have given us
Flesh of bronze
They have purified us
We have gained
Hearts of gold
Our songs
Are not dead
The poetry of our lives
Is beating
In the eardrums
Of our adversaries

BAJA WIRELESS BOYCOTT

I paid you
For my antenna
Give it back
You are in Mexico
Don’t steal from
The people
That support you
Don’t come here
To take advantage
Of the poor
Be honest
Be fair

ANGELA JOY

A counterfeit
First name
Wingless so it can’t fly
With its
Blasphemous surname
Even Frankenstein
Has more soul

Angels speak Spanish
This aberration does not
It has witchcraft for gender

Even a cucaracha has
Its God given charisma
You are graceless

Angels don’t smoke dope
And you do

I speak to you
Piece of excrement
Get the fuck out
Of the land of the sun

Stop hurting the innocent
Sons and daughters
The people of
The eagle that devours
The snake

You are the serpent
And we are the children
Of the Eagle

We are in our homeland
You are and invader
And I will make you
Swallow dirt
With your lies
And I will sent you back
To your madhouse

Viva la raza!
A traitor has been found!

A CROSS

Across countries
And state—lines
With the border patrol
More serviceable
Than ever

They did not
Stopped nor
Searched us
Just chanted
Their canonical questions

Therefore I can go
Across the lines
Of your body
And the delineation
Of your intentions

And I can
Watch you
Open like
A flower

Across our
Uncertain future
And you can not
Detained me
Because I travel
With an engine
Of love
Running with
The hope of victory

Across your breastplate
There is no deflection
And it feels
Like God
Is touching
Your objectives

Across the interstates
Of profit
With visions
Of poverty

Across
The mountains
Of lies
And the smoke
From my cigarette
Tells me
I still want you
Like cancer

Across
The minds of millions
Who have claimed back
This American land
This our home

INTERNATIONAL
BORDERS IN A
FAST FOOD JOINT

As she drank
The milkshake
I remembered
Mark’s girlfriend
A Japanese student
Who liked
Her chocolate milkshakes
With French fries
She also liked me

When Mark went
Back home
To Switzerland
He told me his girlfriend
Wanted to see me again
But this never happened
I never liked college dorms anyway

My memory stopped
When it was my turn
To drink the cocoa ice-cream
Then I remembered how
Nicotine works wonderful
With sugar

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BORDER

I slipped
On an ambush
Of cheap labor
Landed on
The stairs of manipulation
A concussion of retail
Constricted my soul
My dreams rest on
A loveless surface
My sinuses
Are invaded
With the pressure
Of hurricanes

A CHANGE OF BOUNDARIES
THE BORDER TRAVELS
WITH THE CLOUDS

Movement of wings
Against the blue
Eastern sky
A new flight
Motions of desire

My tongue is
Ready to pronounce
Wonderful words
My lips are set
To kiss
New miracles

Brand new fires
In my heart
Burn like
Newborn babies
Children of light
Of sunlight
Of a new beginning

My soul
Has become
A well of combustion
Hypnotized by the
Addiction of survival

ACROSS THE BORDER

Uncertainty
Flows out
From your kisses
Love is
A matter of endurance
I can see
The conclusion
Around the corner
Of this strange bed

SPEAKERS ON THE CEILING

“Customer by the name
Of Barbara
Your party is waiting
On register 2”

The words came

From above
Electronically
Not spiritually

I looked at
The front of the store
And did not see a party
At any of the
Cash registers

But I did remembered
My friend Barbara
Her revelry
Her playful wishes
On an
Indian summer
Around 9 PM
And it was
Not dark yet

I went back to work
Cleaning the shelves
Then I saw an avocado
And I looked like
The world

AWARENESS

I believe
With all my heart
That your love
Is sweeter
Than the honey
In your
Melodic hands
Sometimes Nirvana
Can be achieved
With a leap of faith

GHOST

Love affairs
Always have borders
Limitations of circumstance
Landmarks of selfishness
I can see

A barricade
In your heart
Larger than
The Berlin Wall
I will make it fall
It will become dust
A pulverized idol

Borders are
Like cheap hotel rooms
When those divisions vanish
A home will appear
Love will not be cheap anymore
Humanity will become sacred
Once again

The incisions
On the land
The stabbing of
The sand
The corrosion
In the waters
The dichotomy
In the hearts
Of children
Will heal better
Than the memory
Of a scar

The border has
A broken neck
Multiple fractures
On its spinal chord
The border is dead
All we see
Is a ghost
A malicious apparition

FLIGHT

The osprey
Prepare to levitate
They don’t need
To wait in line
To be sniffed
By drug addicted dogs
To be x—rayed
Stripped searched
They don’t depend
On gasoline
Their wings
Are better than
Border crossing cards

BORDER PILGRIMS

A place
Of death
Becoming
A river of existence
A draft of
Human beings
Looking for the
Promise land

METAMORPHOSIS

The border line
Is a giant
Caterpillar
It moves
With the faces
Of the world
I am waiting
For it
To become
A butterfly

MEMORY

An old poem
Longing to be held
The only
Thing that
Comes to my mind

PRAYER

May the
Border crossing
Be one of peace
Of friendship
Of acceptance
One of life
Of hope
One of change
Where all people
Become one

HEALTHCARE WITHOUT BORDERS

Ron,
If you care
About your workers
Give them
&
Their families
Free Medical Insurance
Turn your
Heart of limestone
Into one of flesh

A DREAM WITHOUT BORDERS

I dreamt
I was laughing
And the mariachi band
Was laughing
And my friends
Were laughing

DIFFICULT BORDERS

The toughest
Borders to cross
Are the ones
Of greed
Ron
Listen to your ancestor
Crying out
Let my people go!

AQUATIC BORDERS

We are
Like salmon
Swimming against
The current
Trying to save
Our offspring

MY BRIDE

I like
Making love
To you
In Spanish
Foreign exchange
Of passion
I like crossing
That border
The one
Between your legs

I MISS YOU

All of you
Your teeth
Illuminate the finest memories
&
I like the camouflage of your eyes
Ever changing spirits
Wells of mysteries
&
When we make love
I wonder if it is
The last time
So I hold you tight
Your breasts
Against my chest
My soul kissing your soul
My heart touching
Your heart

DEAR YOU

It has come
To my attention
That the sun is dying
Because of
Caustic emotions
Therefore mystical steps
Must be taken
To neutralize the problem
Amen

AFFECTION

Listen up
Love is magic
And it’s also flesh
It’s friendship
And offspring
Sacrifice & justice
My pistol
Spits words
Of hope
Of resurrection
Of truth
Of sex
Of angels
And their
Lethal swords

1 CRAMP WITH NO MUSIC

I strived for goodness
Risking love
Life & money
As I struggled
Industriously in bed

I wanted
To be 20
Once more
And right when
My girl said
“I love you”
A dolorous grin
Was born
In my flesh

Like a clown
On stage
Scaring children
At the concert

RAIN

I was inside of you
And the rain
Made music
With the rooftops
It was better
Than electronica
Natural melodies
Like the touch
Of your lips
On my body
Subtle drumming
Of dreams
That evening
Nothing else mattered

JUSTINA

Next time
You want
To modify
My future
Do it
Before the
Tequila shots
Because a dream
Is like
1000 glances

BORDER INSPECTION

“It’s your lucky day”
He said
“Why?”
I asked

“The computer randomly
Selected you for inspection”

He said it with such grace
A nice old timer
A good gentle—man
About my father’s age
Nearing retirement
He had dark skin
Like I do
He smiled
Like I sometimes do

“Open the trunk”
He asked
I got out of my car

He did not
Got uptight
Nor placed his hand
On his pistol
Like others do

I inserted the key
I pressed right
I heard that
Familiar click
He just smiled
And kept smiling

Maybe he was thinking
About his retirement
Maybe he was thinking
With his heart
And not with his mind
So happy and relaxed
This was no Prozac

This was wisdom amongst the smog
A pearl in the middle
Of contaminated clusters
Of metal, oil, and plastic

“Maybe the computer likes to pick on
good—looking fellows like you”
He said with his enduring
Fraternal smile

For the first time
After 35 years
Of crossing the borders
Of my two countries
I happily drove
To secondary inspection

A piece from "Flashback" my forthcoming collection of poems.


NEW MOON

¿Why do you lean on me
Rubbing your breasts
On my right shoulder?

Planets of life
Mystical dunes

¿What do you want to do?
¿Will it be tonight
Or another day?

When there’s not
A full moon

And we can hide
Under a sky
Of darkness

FACES

Her face
Splattered with disenchantment
Another beautiful face
That I have
Never seen before
I can’t tell anymore
Which faces are more splendorous
Sad faces or happy faces
Sometimes the satisfied
Faces of the world
Are the most ugly
I found sad faces
Full of wonder
Those who get
Everything they want
Have stained faces
Those who lack
The frugal ones
Have faces that shine
With suffering

CAPITAL LETTERS
HAVE PUNCH
LIKE A KO
THEY’RE SHARPER
THAN A STILETTO
BIG LETTERS
HAVE BIG MEANING
AND IT MAKES FOR
FOR BIG TEARS

AMOR

Love can’t
Be contained by borders
It is sometimes sweet
Like diabetics
You can’t contain love
Inside the walls
Of commercial exploitation
Of strategic defamation
Hypnotic indoctrination
In the death of a nation
In secret relocations
Sinister intimidation
Attempts of assassination
Threats of incarceration
Destruction of evidence
With avarice and incineration
Ambushes of desperation
Wishes of annihilation
Souls of exportation
And the poison of importation
And all the ions
That appear on my path
Like lost dogs
Looking for leftovers
Licking my dusty shoes
As I watch
Unfamiliar faces

BURNING BRIGHT

I was working
On her poems
Typing away
On my portable Olivetti
Her first book
Sensual poems
Love poems
Poems of desire
Poems of hope
Of pain
And redemption
Of death
And something
Called life
Loving her
Amongst all
That poetry
Seemed like
The natural
Next step
There is something
In the poetic
That works
Like an aphrodisiac
There is always
An element
Of seduction
That lives
Between the lines
Of most poems
It’s like the sun
That shines on my face
As I write
Sitting in this car
A raft at the center
Of this sea of traffic
And the weatherman
Called for rain
But the sun
Is burning bright

SOMETHING LIKE THAT

So poetry
It’s just like that
A paradox of
Existential ingredients
The art of life
The formula of breathing
And when everything
Is consumed by the
Inability of our flight
When I stand
Naked before you
With a ravaged soul
And devastated emotions
Know that my heart
Is intact
Pulsating your memory
Pronouncing
With each beat
Your name

A POEM FOR RON COHN
MY EMPLOYER

“I will be fair with you”
Ron paused and then continued
“you, be fair with me”

I was helping one
of Mr. Cohn patrons
an award winning novelist
who likes to shop at
Henry’s Marketplace Chula Vista

I replied
“I’m helping a customer”
Ron barked
“you’ve been talking for awhile”
then he amplified his demeanor
“it’s time to go back to work”

I wonder if Martin will ever
come back to Ron’s store
I wonder what he will write
on his next
newspaper column

I looked at the pasta bags
they looked like
lost stars
in a galaxy of greed

IN THE DARK

I like making
Love to you
When you have
Fallen asleep
When the lights
Are out
Except for the lampada
Next to the icon
We don’t need
Electricity radiating
In the light bulbs
Your perfect body is
Illumination to my life
A light house
For my hurricanes

WRITE UP

Talked to Juan about his
Attendance problems on 2/27/06
Juan must realize he needs to
Be to work on time, any further problem
With attendance could result
In suspension and or termination

“Sign the paper” the manager said
“I will, but first I need to write about it”
I answered and then
I wrote on his piece of paper:

Any alleged attendance problem is a
Direct result of the stress, pain, discomfort and
Depression caused by my injury which I suffered
While doing my work duties for my employer
At Henry’s Marketplace Chula Vista

Then I signed
My very Mexican
Spanish sounding name

Juan José Martínez

BEAUTIFUL SLEEP

Your face
So close to me
In perfect symmetry
I watch you sleep
Forgive me
I know poets
Have an obligation
To love
But we also
Are bound
To move justice
So as you rest
Away in a happier place
I will write something
About fairness & freedom
And when you wake up
My dear miracle
I will be there

poetry

a poem
is an act of love
of desperation
of hope
and betrayal
poetry places the truth
in the mind of the planet
in the hearts
of those who listen
in the souls
of those who read it
poetry is
an intermission
of understanding
a knowledge of fire
a birth of reality
a way of light
poetry is survival

my dear estranger

okay, last call
like the barkeeps like to say
one last test run before i let this baby
know what i made of
let’s try to use the punctuations marks
of the life i never knew
i know how to love
in different languages
in glances and smiles
i can write without ink
and without words
that’s right darling
i can make little children
with no touch whatsoever
So you decide
if you want to meet me
in the corner of
your curious mind
i only have sweet warnings for you
because pain is something enchanting
if you are one of those creatures
please stay away
because the road of addiction
always ends in heartbreak
and i know you heart
is not made of glass
it is more like pottery
or should i say poetry?
whatever the case may be
this is not a playground
the art of death
is not frivolous
so then my dear estranger
think it over
real hard and deep
because tomorrow might become
like a laughing monster
by your luxurious bedside
maybe you should go home
and be with your family
broken as it is
but non the less
something very special to you
i will give you a kiss
with my eyes
before i grow weary
from any kind of defense

THE SOUND OF THE CANDLE LIGHT

The beauty
Of the dim light
Shines in the memories
In the essence of our souls
Like floating petals
In the water of our youth
Playing for hours
In the fountains of love
The melting candles
Still alive
In our hearts


ONCE AGAIN

I played my guitar
The bathtub
Embraced your precious body
The flames on the candles
Danced in the dark
And I sang your song

Queen of my heart
I love you so much
Your are like the
Open sky
Where angels fly
Your smile is
Brighter than the sun
Better than any star
Your beauty has no equal
You’re better than a miracle

Then you wrote me
The most beautiful poem ever
I knew then
I should take a bath

NO CUT
NO KNIFE
NO SCISSORS

I decided to go
Like the
Owners of this continent
Or like the biblical prophets
Like Sampson
Like Geronimo
Like a Starets
Like Sitting Bull
Like the guys
With the guitars
Under the spot lights
Like Jesus Christ
And His cousin
John the Baptist
And the HR rep
Said he would give me
A job
But the problem was
This was not
A model agency
So I walked away
On the beach
And wrote songs
And poems
Wrote the
Story of
My own life