SKY


The pilot with shaky hands
Has eyes out of control
He walks nervously amongst the passengers

Above the clouds
And below his fears
Almost at the 1000 miles per hour

The sneer he had in New York
Has vacated his face
Maybe he’s cold & that’s why
He put a blue sweater on
It makes him look combersum

Someone else is flying this aircraft
Since the Atlantic is
A hard-cold surface at night

IN PHARAOH’S HAREM


When Sarah entered Egypt
She knew what she wanted
She wanted to get down to business
But she got a mortgage instead

When Sarah entered Egypt
Pharaoh gave in
Losing part of his stock
Losing part of his life

When Sarah left Egypt
She took with her
A time bomb
And her husband tripped it
And Ishmael was born

When Sarah was jealous
She was just Sarah
Longing after the onions of Egypt

ACCORDING TO THE FRENCH ARCHITECT


This hole has a tissue that is disintegrating
As if being eaten by bacteria
It conveys a stunning dose of reality

It is a net with bigger holes
A huge hole
Filled with millions of smaller holes

What a work of art!

The cameras are witnesses
To this tragedy
A disastrous event that is celebrated
As a magnificent achievement

This is a symbol
Of laughter
And lamentations

PORSCHE BOXTER

A la nube
Le falta
Un seno
Se perdió
En una cena
A la nube
Le hace falta
Porque los senadores
Se lo comieron

Dos bautismos en un día es todo un desafío, lo bueno que se celebraban en la misma comunidad y no en diferentes ciudades y el carro estaba nuevo y era convertible, de ingeniería alemana. Yo viajaba en el asiento del pasajero, el único asiento de pasajero porque sólo tenía dos plazas. Mi hermano conducía en alta velocidad pero se sentía como si el auto fuera a 30 millas por hora. Para el retén de policía era una velocidad más alta. No señalaron para que nos detuviéramos.

— A ver… bájate colega.

Me dijo el policía cuando se acercó a mi ventana. Abrí la puerta y me bajé y miré a los demás policías que, de la misma forma, me miraban. El que me dijo colega tomó mi lugar en el carro y cerró la puerta. Permaneció unos momentos sin decir nada, sólo miraba el interior del auto, y guardaba su silencio.

— ¡Qué chingón huele! Dijo finalmente.
— Sí oficial, lo compré hace unos días. Dijo el conductor.
— Simón, es olor a carro nuevo. Dice el chota para después bajarse del carro en silencio y alejarse.

Me subí al carro y nos fuimos, me quedé pensando en el olor a carro nuevo, ese olor que causa cáncer y que le gustó tanto al uniformado. Y el agua corría por en medio de la ciudad como si fuese un río, o muchos ríos, como si las calles fueran de agua y de repente pensé: que buen lugar para celebrar bautismos. Agua por doquier. Cuando estábamos por llegar al final, donde están los peñascos a un lado del mar, el carro se llenó de polvo. Y me di cuenta que todo el mundo también se convierte en polvo.

HETAIRAS


Write about the hetairas she said
Write so they can wake up
Write so we might discover them

All along the conversation
I was trying to figure out
What a hetaira is
But I could definitely feel
More than I could understand

Now that their men
Have been taken down
The hetairas have taken over

They excel in
The art of politics
The art of desire
The art of the eye

The hetairas have been around us
For a very long time

This is
A state of mind

But above all else
It is the workings of
The world

MEXICAN DINER


I met you at diner
I told you I was falling in love with you
And you said you felt the same

For the next six months
I looked for you
In that Mexican diner
And I always found you

And we chatted
From sunup
To sundown

I spoke poetry to you
And you spoke poetry back to me
I told you were my muse
And you sat there
Biting your lips

We dreamt with our eyes open
And celebrated our secret rituals
At that Mexican diner

Then I took you with me to California
And then I invited you to my secret place
I laid on my bed
And you placed you face down on the table
And looked at me
As I tried not to fall asleep

One early morning
Or one late night
I don’t remember which
You asked if I would let you
Take care of me

And you looked so dangerously beautiful
And even though I answered your question
You told me I did not seem too convinced

You looked so beautiful then
As you do look beautiful now
And one day
It seemed like a day to me
But it might have been a night for you
You told me how you felt

And your feelings resonated in my heart
Like a close encounter of the third kind
I knew then you need it more of me
Like I need more of you

It did not happened every time
But when we concentrated
We could make the light
Shine in both hemispheres
At the same time

YOU LOOK KILLER


The sport kills
No need to impress friends
This game kills
Diversion only breeds desire

This risk will put you to sleep
This chance kills
Practice makes perfect
So unfortunately exact

I like being imperfect
These skills make you a dreamer
This craft kills

Friends don’t let friends drive proud

The road kills
The bed kills
The ring kills

The dance floor….

The detective said:
While she danced
She fell dead
In the arms of her partner

This life kills
Eventually everybody
Crosses the finish line

These feelings kill
You better not be too sentimental
For a decent heart rate

Sex kills
Food kills
Work kills
Leisure kills

And pretty soon
The kills start sounding
Like videogame credits

Your eye can kill you
And you hand too
You ear
Your tongue
Your breathing passages
Your everything’s
And your nothingness
All of these and so many more
Can efficiently put you to rest

WE RIDE OUR BICYCLES


We ride our bicycles
And the girl in front
Starts playing with her lighter
She put the flint to work
And the sparks hit the darkness
Next to the ocean

We ride our bicycles
And we have to stop
To listen to the music
The lighter girl has unleashed a fire
And the music is fuel

We ride out bicycles
And stop to grab something to eat
We parked our bikes next to the restaurant’s
Delivery motorcycle
Our rides are better

We ride our bicycles
Through the park
On the boardwalk
Next to the sunset
Through musicians
Painters and poets

We ride our bicycles home
And play with the Indian summer
Happiness on two wheels
Love is exercise

FESTIVAL


The guitars sounded great
In different stages
Sounded splendid
At the same time
And with different songs

The people danced
The children played
The night was warm

And the ocean always so near
Always working
Purifying what needs to be purified

The aftertaste of salt
The aroma of the sea
The sublime flavor of drink

AFTER SUNSET


The modern cowboys asked for my help
Help us round up the horses
They said

And they had a 4x4
And I had my bicycle

I told them you need horses
To round up horses

You are not from around here?
One of them asked
I lived up the hill I said

They said thank you
And drove away towards the horses

I walked up the hill
With my bicycle by my side

When I reached the road
I turned the strobe on
And rode on the country side

FOREST

The foliage turns colors
It becomes a bed and a pillow
For animals & human beings

SPECTRUM


The face of the woman
Is on the window
It is slightly tilted

The face of the woman
Grows with the window
Early in the morning

The face of this woman
Facing away from the ocean

The face of this woman
With dried eye sockets
Ready to be connected to the grid

This face mutating on the window
This face moving with regret

This face changing gender
This face changing species
This face trading dreams
This face of silent screams

ANTE LA PUESTA DEL SOL


dos barcos toman el sol
descansan sobre el agua
agua de lumbre al rededor de sus proas

la pequeña embarcación escapa
de las llamas líquidas
olas en llamas

el grande permanece
bajo los efectos del sol
que ahora se esconde
en la desintegración
de las nubes

el pequeño pescador
viaja hacia el sur
el de los tanques de piedad
se esconden junto a él

también detrás de la risa
detrás de las brisas
entre los cantos de agua
detrás de las sirenas expatriadas
detrás de la enfadada iluminación de las islas
detrás de la neblina

el rascacielos
es frágil
ante la puesta del sol

lanzo piedras a la mosca torpe
ante la puesta del sol
con el sudor de mi frente
ante la puesta del sol
un trago más
ante la puesta del sol

ALARM


You said not to worry
That everything would be fine
And I believed you
But you tripped your own alarm

And you could not turned it off
And your father came down
And stumbled with me

He shut the alarm off
And I felt embarrassed
Even though I didn’t do anything
I was just a witness of circumstance

I looked at you
And you were
Pretty & nonchalant
Smoking cigarettes

I began speaking to your dad
And he was surprisingly cool
He said it might take
A year and half
To repair the damage done

But your mother
Would not speak to me

We walked outside and
He pointed to the sky and said
Look at number 11

He went back in
To get a telescope
You were still smoking
And I was watching
Planets eating planets

PRETTY


How beautiful you look in a white dress
In denim jeans & baseball hat
You look great too

Your long black hair
Is the extension of my nights

When you cross the street
You look sad but pretty still
You look pretty when you sing
And pretty when you sleep

You look pretty on the other side of the world
Pretty on the other side of my heart

Pretty on the sand
Sprayed painted blue
Pretty like the water that reaches your ankles

WALKIE TALKIES


The machinegun toting policeman
Signaled me to stop at the a checkpoint
He asked me for my drivers license
And I took it out of my wallet
And handed it to him

What do you for a living?
He asked
I am writer
I answered
Is this your car?
He pressed on
It is my car
I said

What can you tell me about your radio?
He continued
I can tell you it is a multi-band radio
Okay you can go he said

I drove myself home
But first to the store
To get something to drink

I was thinking
As I drove
I was comparing this episode
With the Feds incident

When I answered the Federales
The occupation question
One them asked
How many works have you published?
I suppose he was the intellectual agent

This time I was ready
And the last time I was ready too
I am always ready

To create a haiku on the spot
Or if I am feeling brave
I can spit out a sonnet in real time

But they always want to know
About the radios
I believe that when all
Is said and done
They’re just children
Like I am just a child
And both they and I
Have always liked walkie talkies

DRIVE


The traffic completely stopped
And when I was about the change lanes
The band began to play
It was definitely rock & roll because they were
Literally rocking and rolling on the roof of a bus
And the drummer was hitting them drums
And the bass guitar
Was making the streets vibrate
And the cars were shaking too
I began to feel comfortable
I knew it would be a good night

Like when the Hummer in front of me
Was being exhaustively searched by the army
And the soldiers looked happy doing their job
And I felt happy to be watching such a spectacle
Childhood heroes saving my day

I drove into the night
Amongst scared drivers
Broken cars & broken hearts
Broken streets & broken minds
I drove the best I could
I drove with tenacity
Holding a restless wheel
Holding my restless dreams

I stopped at a convenience store
and grabbed a six pack
Waited my turn in line as a stressed out
Cashier hurried the best she could
There was a drifter behind me with apple soda
And he said to me:
This will not cure me but I will refresh me
And he looked at my six pack and telepathically
He said: I’ll trade you
And telepathically I answered him: No

In front of me was a man
With his young daughter
He was holding a large & heavy water bottle
And he looked generally unhappy
But the concern for his daughter was
What kept him alive
When it was my turn I paid my sixty pesos
The cashier said thank you
I said you welcome
And walked outside towards my car
Being followed by a stream of suspicious glances

And at the house the words
It is so good to see you!
But it sounds better in Spanish
And it was good to see them too
Because it its good to see poets & writers
Specially if there’s enough seafood & wine

And as you were having your dream
She approached me and said
I like ice-cream

And I was going to answered her
Saying that I like ice-cream too
But I was called by the intellectual couple
In the corner of the room
Sat on the sofa next to them
And they asked me about current poetic trends
And I said something like:
It is a simple as speaking
Pretty similar to what we are doing right now

And the ice-cream girl was looking at me
From a distance and was raising her voice
As she spoke

So I walked to terrace and light up my cigar
Looked at the tallest hill in the city
On its top there were repeaters
Blinking in the night
On its bottom there were crazy taxi drivers
And a SUV’s gone insane
The smoke from my cigar
Made it all better

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER


The ocean’s breeze is a natural air conditioner
The psychologist advised
On Mexican radio
Saying that healthy people
Need more therapy than insane folks

And all I know is that is getting pretty hot
And it would be nice to drink
A very cold beer
Or maybe two or three

Watching the sunset
Taking pictures
And trying to figure out
If the American couple down the hill
Is playing with Rosa

Or one of Rosa’s offspring
Because they all look happy
Walking and running on the fields
Near the sea

EXPOSURE


Mice are dying
It is the cost of being near jets
Of standing under them
And not in them

The force continues to be a force
On land or in the sky
As it pierces the whimsical clouds
Were angels & demons play
Dramatic games of chess

Their immune system is wakened
By their desire
To be so near
Oh so close to
The craftsmen of the air

THIS FALL


This morning I woke up
With fast words coming out of the radio
About half the population being infected
On this fall

In the fall of fools
In the fall of the prideful
In the fall of this year

The fall is a harvest
The fall is gravity
The fall is only natural
The fall is conceptual

The fall of men
The fall of women
The fall in the garden of wantonness
The fall of the snake

The fall where dogs & cats laugh

I got up and looked at the water
I made coffee
And changed the radio station
I looked at the water again
And remembered the tourist impresario saying
Father ocean & mother earth

I walked to my car and noticed
It was dusty again
And I drove on the dirt roads
Looked at horses eating from garbage cans
Looked at pretty girls driving nice cars
Looking confused and out of place
Looked at things I should have not looked at
I looked at everything and realized
I had looked at nothing

I arrived at the house
Said hello to the landlord and his wife
Got the key from them
And walked towards my friends
They liked the house
I liked the house
They liked the plants
I liked the plants
They liked me & I liked them

They left & I went back to the landlords
I read them one of my poems
The husband fell asleep and
His wife said to me
It sounds like you are in love

SONG


They cleaned the car
As I rested my hands on the wheel
I listened to the radio
And they sang
I listened and they sang like this:

Sonaron dos FOGONAZOOO-OOOS!

They could keep the tone
They could sing
They were never out of tune
As they took the
Dust off my car

They had an enlightened second nature
Under their dirty clothes
They carried their conscience in their eyes

MILLIONS OF YOU


Today I saw millions of you
All beautiful
All meaningful
All enhancing

I saw you
As a child
As a young woman
As a mother
As a grandmother
As a wife
As a lover

You all over
You everywhere
As a fighter
As a survivor

And some of you approached me
And helped me with my quest

And some of you smiled at me
And some of you did not noticed
And some of you descended on this place
In invisible parachutes

All of you beautiful
All of you
Married & single
All of you
Very much like you
Diligent and serious
Happy and relaxed
Occupied and industrious

You staring
You standing behind me
You making me nervous
Looking at me
With fire in your eyes

You waiting in you car
With a ring on your finger
Waiting for the girl
That looks like you
The one looking at my hands
Looking at my back
And oh those eyes
I can see them in the
Reflection of the window


You on the sand
You on the water that touches my lips
On the bread that caresses my tongue

On my mirror
On my bed
On my car
On my favorite pillow

You
Millions of you
On my soul

You
Marching on the street
You laughing with your friends
Who also look like you

You
The driver and
You the passenger

You
The beautiful detective
And you the exquisite nurse

PRETTIER THAN HER


I was looking at you
Like I always do
And then it happened

I saw your clone
Or your twin
Or whatever that apparition might be

Sitting there but at a different desk
With different clothes
With different colors
Sad and lonely and depressed

And that is how you are prettier than her
Because even though you look exactly the same
Your face was adorned
With the brilliance of happiness
And her face was immersed in horrible despondency

You pretty
Her pretty sad
You happy
Her unlucky
You beautiful
Her unattractive
You wonderful
Her wonderless

You a complete human being

Her an android
A rusty robot
A devaluated item
A photo shop
A flash player
An outdated program
A glitch
A strike
A mistake
Amiss

12 O’CLOCK


Potatoes are a great
Food to be eaten
Right at noon

Great companions of conversations
Because when potatoes cook in oil
The chef philosophizes &
The poet poeticizes

And the potatoes become soft
Their flavors multiplied
With the caresses of heat

Their aroma fights
For the children’s flight
These marvelous units of food
Can teach you right from wrong

When a potato lands on your taste buds
You attain global knowledge
Understanding moments of savor

Sympathy levitates
With the sizzling sounds
It flies by our million noses
And then out the window
To faraway worlds

AMIGOS


los amigos llegaron
en diferentes colores
con nombres conocidos
con pedigrí inconfundible
en caminatas mediterráneas

me siguieron
me rebasaron
me acompañaron

estuvieron conmigo
como en el pasado
como el presente
como en el futuro
como cuando un desconocido me dijo:
tú tienes muchos amigos

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT


The lady is screaming outside
She hollers

Gonzalo!!!!!!
Gonzalo!!!!!
Gonzalo!!!!!

And somehow I think
This might be connected
To today’s server
Her nametag said Alma
Nice name for a soul

And as I thought about it
I saw her eyes beaming
Like classic beacons
Warning a flotilla
That the world is near

Oh so near…

Land can be a strange place
When fire touches the grass
In the morning

As I was getting ready to go
I was asked by the lady
With the pleasing child

Where you able to get connected?
I told her I brought my own modem
We have connectivity here and
You can use it come anytime you want

I said thank you
And drove away
Looking for filtered water

DAY & NIGHT


A collection on the most unusual of places
A collection of furry intentions
Cartoon realizations
Cartoon lamentations

Surfing on those situations
On spray painted sand
On white sea foam
On dreams where you wake up
To walk outside your door
Into the fire
Look at the firemen
Look at the neighbors wife
Looking at the ash

Realizing you don’t have your glasses on
And you can see just fine
Like when St Peter walked on water

Like when the teenager
That young guitar player
Lifted a car with his bare hands
Because he saw a woman under it
On the lotus position
The rear tire resting on her neck
With tiny drops of blood
Falling from her forehead
Adding color to the cliff
Painting the soil
Making this part of world
An art scene

A collection of images
A movement of millions of eyes
In the sky
In your mind
In their lives

Focusing on French cars
The retinas move at will
With at the touch of her buttons

Intensive as a water-melon
A pilot of fruits & vegetables
A pilot of clouds
A pilot of smiles
A pilot of dreams
A pilot that can touch
The heart of the mother
And make her live again

EXCHANGE


The couple sits on the sofa
Very close together
Very much in love

The old man with a walker enters
Looks at the young couple
And says to the tiny dog that approaches him

Sáquese!
Váyase!
Fuchila!
Guacala!

She smiles
The children smile
I smile
But the boyfriend
Doesn’t think
It’s funny

TRANSMISSIONS


I sat on my car
And moved the knobs on the radio
I wanted to transmit the best
I could put on the air

The truth signals to your heart
And even though we could be
In the same frequencies
We also have to be
On the same modality

To see what you see
To feel what I feel
To be who you are
To know how I am
To love like we do

SENCILLO


la vida es como los aviones
los dos tienen forma de cruz
los dos son un arte

la vida es una escuela
donde se aprende a esperar
donde se aprende a jugar

vivir es una carcajada
que sana el cáncer del mundo
una elevación sin paracaídas
una oración compuesta de caló

vivir es volar
sabiendo tener los pies sobre la tierra
respirar el polvo
con los labios partidos por el sol

SOUND OVER THE PLAINS


My alarm clock is an helicopter
Above my sky
Above my bed
Purring like
A flying cat
Fighting to unite
The morning with the afternoon
Pulling both realities
Towards each other
Censing the air
With burnt fuel
Planning a collision
To make a new moon
To make believers on this day

ANDAR Y NADAR


las caricias de la voz no tienen nada que ver con la verdad
son sólo lo que ellos y ellas usan para poder sobrevivir un día más
no tienen nada que ver

nada
nada
nada

anda que veremos muchas cosas

las mensajes cifrados no tienen nada que ver
con lo que estamos haciendo
aquí y allá nada que ver

nada
nada
nada

la lista de la mañana
la lista e inteligente
la lista de tu vida
la lista de todo lo que ocurre
en tus oscuridades
en tus iluminaciones
las lista de todos
la lista de nadie
las lista para poder alistar

la bendita risa
la maldita risa
la medicinal sonrisa
es una conquista
es ser realista
es ser así

uno para todos
y todos para uno
los 3 mosqueteros
los 3 balleneros
los 3 metaleros
los 3 jilgueros
los 3 amigos
administrando la energía
del montón de asustados
una bola de baterías
llenas de agua

PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD


The inspector smiled
Like people do
At birthday parties
Like old people do
At celebrations

You are going shopping he said
My son & I looked at him and smiled

Is he your son?
He asked
He is my son
I answered

The inspector seemed happy
My son seemed happy
I was happy for both of them

But something was not right
Because a Grand Cherokee
Was lifting dust
Was an accident
Was treacherous
Was everything that could go wrong

And my friend’s father
Was on the ground hand-cupped
With a gun to his hand
Being robbed

And a WWII survivor
Told us about world domination
Microchips & immunizations
Laughter & declarations

People all over the world
Are a mixture of smiles & tears
Heart attacks & conceptions
People all over the world
Spinning like DJ’s
Turning the
North & South Poles

PLANTA


la buganvilia
es un ser humano porque tiene tu rostro
tiene los sentimientos colorados
como los míos
sufre como yo sufro
y ríe como yo río
esta planta tiene la gracia de Dios
y el destino de los seres humanos
sus colores son radiantes
como la juventud
sus ramas fuertes
como los deseos
es una fotografía
tatuada en la materia gris
una oración donde
el suplicante y el suplicado
se confunde entre si

AWAKE


It happened again
The idea of you woke me up
The presence of you
Made me look your way
As you wrote
Even though you are
Thousands of miles away

And I heard the exertion
Of the plowman
Since he decided
To walk the path of the oxen

I sat here
I typing these words
I looked towards my bed
And realized the world is
What it has always been
And slowly and softly
I went back to bed

SAVINGS & CONTACTS


The California poet spoke about her poem:

This poem is true
But it never happened
She said

And she read it
And they were beautiful verses

I wish some of my poems did not happened
I wish some of my poems were not true

I wish to win & I wish to lose
Everything that makes me sink
In the saltiest of waters

I wish to hold my love
Underneath in summer
Under the blankets in winter

Under the stars
Under the sun
Under everything that can’t see us
Arriving steadily and confidently

Holding tightly & securely
Because being-still together
Increases the chances of survival

Hold still
Don’t move
Try no to move
Don’t let your body warmth
Dissipate back to where it came from

EATING PLACE


The guy with the dragon rings
Had the little girl
He was afraid
That’s why he held her tight
While her mother
Went to the restrooms
You could see the fear
In his eyes
The dread that hanged from
His mustache
And then
All of the sudden
He looked very human
Like he must of have
When something horrible
Happened to him
And the kid was restless
In his arms
She wanted to play freely
But he was afraid
To let go

PASEO

la naranja está cerca del agua
resplandeciendo como una esfera de navidad
los pedales cerca del pavimento destruido
en un sube y baja de polvo
es una labor del atardecer
un ejercicio de crucigramas ecológicos
en búsqueda de ritmos
en los movimientos de la bicicleta
los pulmones se expanden
y la respiración cuesta trabajo
como si hubiera una crisis que hace sentir mejor
un retorno a la niñez
una ataque de emoción
que anticipa la noche

APPARITION

I saw you again today
Enriching the environment
With your beauty

I almost got up from my table
And ran after you
While my son ate his meal
I remembered I can’t run
So I waited and decided
To follow you gently
Inside the warehouse

But you came back before
We went after you
You were talking on your cell phone
Walking straight & tall & pretty

SALUBRE


la medicina mental
es de color rojo
y tiene sabor a hogar
siempre de temperaturas
que acarician al paladar
como el tiempo

tiene un resabio a infinito
deshace la incertidumbre
que bloquea los caminos
del entendimiento

restaura la visión
y el mundo invisible
se ve de lo más nítido
y desaparece el miedo

INSTRUMENT


A wrecking ball is to make things new
It is the first step in disintegration
It is the eve of restoration

A stressful incantation
A fearful acceleration
A breaking for redemption

The fractured essence is repaired
Broken spirits are healed

A wrecking ball is just
An architect’s instrument

An effort to rebuild the future
And clarify the confusion of pain
It is an orthopedic intention
It is a house breathing

PASOS

ver con los sentimientos está bien
ver con el corazón es mejor
porque en cada latido se recuerda la vida
se discierne la dignidad detrás del sufrimiento
se conecta con la danza de lo cotidiano
con la rotación del planeta
con lo menos efímero del mundo
verte de esta forma me gusta
allí donde estás
allí donde estuviste
construyendo una rampa mística
para poder despegar tu alma
de las circunstancias más adhesivas
para poder interpretar las melodías del aire

OFFERING

The fire you lit
Is marking my path towards you
Across the water

ADVERTENCIA:
ESTE POEMA ES PARTE DE UN PAQUETE INTEGRAL


los diarios de los seres humanos deberán ser
de lo más honesto
para poder avanzar
con dignidad

porque sólo es un tema del mundo
con una versión personal

la prosperidad está en contra de la pobreza
y el músico afluente me parece
de lo más sospechoso
mercenario de los mejores noticieros
pero una roca cristiana
sirvió de espanto

la revista es un desmadre
a falta de la ternura maternal
pude ver esto en
la noche de san juan
esa noche mágica
cuando la fogata provocó
el brillo de la humanidad

en la ciudad de sal
se esconden los detectives
entonces me llevaré a mí mismo
intercambiaré mis consultas
por alimentos
caridad y vivienda

clímax
se escucha
como el nombre de una
cadena de supermercados
pero es un mal viaje
son los efectos secundarios
después del tiroteo
siempre es cuestión de tiempo

aún los más inteligentes son engañados
era admirador del gran místico oriental
pero se cayó de la montaña y falleció

espiritualidad cualquiera para empezar
las adivinanzas como entretenimiento
la adivinación como un truco
para no pagar deudas
a vender transparentes pues
como fuente de longevidad

VACACIONES

cantamos juntos
acerca del miedo
del amor
del baile de la vida
de los ritmos
que están de moda
en la noche
de la noche
por la noche
la fogata
tendrá que esperar
y la siguiente mañana
nos preparamos para la tarde
para la lumbre del atardecer
para el fuego
porque amor es comer
y en lo que llegaba la noche
pensé en lavar ropa
y después puse la ropa en la lavadora
la mía
las de los niños
sin separar colores
porque Dios mezcló
todos los colores en el mundo
y llegó mi madre
se llevó los niños a la civilización
de repente no me sentía
como un Robin Hood
como un explorador
como un héroe clandestino
sólo como un poeta

HIS HAIR WAS LIKE A CROWN


As we ate & drank
A mystic looking fellow
Entered through the gates

Someone is looking for you
I told the owner of the house
And he walked towards him

They visitor asked for food
And as they prepared
A flower tortilla
With carne asada
And cactus

I saw the mysterious guest
In the prone position
Kissing the ground
First to the east
And then to the west
Were the barbecue
Was taking place

PLANTA


la sábila en realidad es dulce
porque cura las enfermedades del mundo
la sábila es como un beso
porque brinda bienestar

es dulce para los que prefieren la vida
y amarga para los que prefieren la muerte

el agua que navega por la manguera
empapa la sábila

pobrecita estaba seca y sedienta
y tan valiente que es mi amor
ha sobrevivido todo este tiempo
con sus propias fuerzas

el agua viene de la cisterna azul
un mago se encarga de llenarla
un mago encuentra los pozos
en este desierto mexicano
un mago conduce un camión
lleno de agua

la sábila se ve feliz
y eso hace que yo sea feliz
sus colores verde y rojo
brillan mojados
ante el sol

el rojo empieza a desvanecerse
la sangre es como el agua
la sangre y el agua
son necesarias
para la supervivencia

REVISION


We drove into Mexico again
Like a million times before
And the bell rang
And the red light turned on
It was time for me to pull over
And opened the trunk

We stood there
The Mexican Custom official
And myself
Looking at the goods
Mostly groceries

He asked
“What’s in the box?”
Crap the box!
I thought to myself

I remembered picking it up
At the post office
And decided not to inspected it
Until later

Bad memory can be good
It can also be a curse

That box was sealed
“Books” I said
“I think there’s books in there”
“Can we opened it?”
“Yes of course”

We both took out our knives
At the same time
He looked at my leatherman
And put his blade back on his belt

I slit the scotch tape
And walk away form the vehicle
He approached the box
And looked through the contents

I forgot to tell him about the sandals
And about the power inverted
I remembered thinking

He closed the box and said “thank you”
I close the trunk and when I was ready
To get back in the car he said:

“You did very good”
I thank him
Got in the car & drove away

LADO OPUESTO


Esto es como
un cielo de sangre,
aunque abajo del mediterráneo
viven los alienígenas en un lugar especial,
y fincan sus experimentos
en las costas más próximas.

Convierten sus monumentos
en la envidia de los arquitectos,
en el asombro de los niños,
y en el orgullo
de los indígenas.

Hermanos y hermanas,
cuanto gusto
me da apreciar
el fruto de sus trabajos;
sonrisas naturales
para encandilar
al diablo.

TUESDAY


I killed a snake this morning
I didn’t want to but I had to
It is like killing spiders
I don’t like it
But it is something
That needs to be done

Mosquitoes
I don’t mind
Killing mosquitoes

I used a shovel
As a weapon

The snake did not flee
It curled around a crate
As if tying itself
Into a knot

I was hoping for the snake
To get scare and go away
But it was defiant

I also used the shovel
As a catapult
To hurl the detach head
Into the field

Food for the birds
Or the rabbits
Or the cats
Or the dogs
Or whatever gets there first

LUNES

mucho calor
hacía mucho calor en la línea
hacía mucho calor en la espera
hacía mucho calor para entrar
al horno caliente

en el espejo retrovisor
vi a una chica que se parece a ti
al lado de su madre
la chica conducía
su madre ocupaba el asiento delantero
el del pasajero
la mamá se parece
a tu mamá

después otro vehículo
detrás de mi auto
con un chica que se parece a ti conduciendo
y alguien que se parecía a mí
en el asiento del pasajero

ella se bajó del auto mientras esperábamos
la aprecié en la pantalla
de mi espejo
me pregunté
si tu cuerpo
es similar al de ella
en realidad era atractiva
y su acompañante dormía

cuando llegamos a la garita
el oficial los amonestó
le dijo
¡no los sigan tan cerca!
retrocedan y no ocasionen
un accidente
les estaba gritando

cuando tomó nuestros pasaportes
nos dijo:
les llame la atención
pero él dijo
es la culpa de ella
yo no tuve nada que ver

el oficial sonrío
y nosotros nos reímos con él

DOMINGO


la luz entró por las ventanas y las partituras
nos recordó que estas
son las vacaciones de verano
y la transubstansiación no se llevaría acabo
el día de hoy
entonces subimos al auto y fuimos
en busca de un desayuno
en busca de esos seres acuáticos
que llenan la música de alegría
y las leyendas de encanto
nos dimos cuenta que las personas
siempre están cambiando
como las sombras al paso de las horas
y tratamos de ver todo esto
con los mejores ojos
con la mejor energía que nos da la vida
nos enteramos que hay cambios
que son para siempre
como lo es el vivir y el morir
la madre les entrego dos estrellas de mar
y los hijos las recibieron con gusto
tú eres un géminis me dijo
estoy segura que no tienes problemas
¿no lo dices en serio verdad? pregunté
me es divertido pensarlo así me contestó
cuando nos despedimos me dijo
que deseaba que fuera feliz
yo le dije: igualmente
ella se fue y nosotros fuimos al cine
a ver ladrones y policías
competir en colosales tiroteos
y a pesar de las adversas circunstancias
tuvieron tiempo para insertar
una escena de amor
a hollywood le gusta hacer esas cosas
cuando salimos vimos una ambulancia
de la cruz roja en el estacionamiento
al darle la propina al guardia
le pregunté acerca del incidente y me dijo
es una persona como yo
es un guardia
y se cayó

THE THIEF


He continues to steal cables
And they want to burn him down
They want to burn him out

He continues to steal fuel
And they want to
Burn him down
They want to burn him out

I listened on the corner and
I wondered how close
The flames will be
To the central stage
Burned at the stake
Like burning a stake

SPOTLIGHTS


The spotlight burns the desert’s sky
And the night becomes day
We can see the smog elevating itself
From the fire in the night
And the other motorists are nonchalant
We are the only ones in awe
The truck drivers in the rest stop
Eat their hamburgers
We are the only ones that look up
At the fire in the sky
As soon as one light burns out
Another ignites and it burns bright
Together with the stars
Four screens become our eyes

GRITÓ LA BALLENA: EL ROBOT BEBE CERVEZA


es un poema como el anterior
pero más peligroso
porque no es la primera vez
que contemplo mi platillo
de esta forma

y mi estomago es el de un cavernícola
un suspiro del deja vú
una licencia para comer
un laboratorio de ácidos
que derriten fastidios
es una libertad adquirida por default
predeterminada por los papalotes
en el consultorio del dentista
un avance de tejidos
que tiemblan al ritmo de la informática
eso y mucho más y casi nada

siempre pon tu portátil sobre la bandeja
lo dijo de una forma casi amable
y tenía la misma cara
pero el uniforme era diferente
con este disfraz era más coqueta
que la primera vez
como suele suceder
en la primera ocasión
su gesto era el de un gigantesco desdén
pero hoy sus labios mostraban una semi sonrisa
al ver que me quitaba las botas y el saco
para poder subir al avión

los engranes están desangrándose
se les está oxidando el alma
fue una emboscada alimenticia
un embargo de lubricantes
oportunismo de los fabricantes de soda
se les está quebrando el alma
su corazón a punto de convertirse
en un cubo metálico

el rescate de las máquinas es el mantenimiento
la medicina de los humanos es el amor
la supervivencia de los animales el alimento
¡mira como el mundo cambia de color!

IMPROVISING


This is my friend Juan
He is a poet and he can help you
With your Spanish lessons today

Just for today?
She asked
But Fernando left the living room

I sat on the chair
She sat across from me on the sofa
What are you having problems with?
I asked
Conjugating verbs she said
I suggest we begin speaking Spanish right now
Estoy cansada
She said
¿Por qué estás cansada?
I asked
Mmm how do you say school in Spanish?
Escuela
Okay then: porque yo escuela
¿Porqué estás es la escuela?
I was in school

What you are trying to say is you are tired
Because you were at school?
I asked

Yes
Okay then you can say it like this:
Estoy cansada porque estuve en la escuela
She repeated the sentence
And I liked her pronunciation

Later that night at the bar
Fernando asked about haiku
Once again

5/7/5 is that right Juan?
That is correct Fernando
Can we write one right now?
Sure!
I said

And we came out with this:

CERVEZA

El río grita
Dentro de mis entrañas
Cielo nublado

LA VENTANA DEL AVIÓN


si me voy a partir la madre
quiero ver bien
tener la mejor perspectiva
el primer angulo
si es de día me gustaría atravesar las nubes
por la noche me concentraría
en las luces de la ciudad
en sus destellos y sus hechizos
en los helicópteros
que vuelan debajo de nosotros
pero arriba de ellos
si voy a caer de esa forma
quiero tener esa visión antes de empezar
a caminar sobre la tierra

CYCLISTS


They sat next to us
They were charismatic
Shared cigarettes
And drank expensive beverages

The German one said

With each drink
People look more beautiful

She made me think
About the students of aesthetics
And their love affairs with wine

Her cell phone rang and
She said something like

They are taking me home
They’re Mexicans but they are nice
I’ll be alright

They knew the art of humor
We laughed as we drove them home
We all agreed it was best not ride
A bicycle while inebriated

We left them at the house and drove away
And the humor was exchanged
For red white and blue lights

That flashed on the walls of the city
On the storefronts
The boulevards
On the faces of late night minorities

STRONG HOUSE


I knocked on their door
And 3 children opened
I asked if their parents were home
Mom is but dad is not
They answered
Can you call her?
They all ran in unison and came back
With her

Juan so nice to see you!!!!!

At the dinner table
We ate Italian ingredients
And drank Italian wine

And their 8 year old daughter
Played and incredible composition
On the family’s piano
And she said
I wrote it when I was
6 years old

The boy that likes to
Play at imaginary
Gun battles began to call me
Juan the Swan

And the other two
Were busy fighting over ice-cream
As their parents and I
Enjoyed the wine

The other child
Spoke poetic
He said:

The octopus lollipop
Looking at the open wound
The blood pours like wine

It was good to see them happy
Their parents were also happy
But they just don’t know
How happy they really are

FOUND


I found contrition once again
Hidden inside a service book
In the Buddhist temple
As they meditated I tried not to
Make too much noise
As I flipped the pages

I understand more why people meditate
It is to keep their sanity
Their meditation was lulling me to sleep
But I was not there to fall asleep
I was there to find the word I was
Looking for

Afterwards we drove to a restaurant
Its walls were decorated with skulls
We sat on a table next to a bar
Ordered our food & drinks
And began to consider life
Our food arrived and we began eating
And talking about existence

That’s looks good
Said one of the girls sitting next at the bar
My friend took her task for their innuendo
And made them order fish
The same as him

The bartender felt somewhat threatened
As he clamored for their attention
My friend told him to behave
Or he would tell the owner he was interfering
With the customers good ambiance

My girlfriend is a technical writer he said
And she took me to a poetry reading
But I did not like it
I did not feel like applauding the poets
There were just words without any feeling
I asked him if he liked his meditation ways
And he said yes
Then I think you will like haiku

I told him about the 5-7-5 rule
About the day and night
About the time of year
About how it should say so much
With so little
And he came out was this:

La Calaca

Las chicas guapas
Hambrientas de nosotros
Noche brillosa

Then the owner came to our table
And asked if everything was fine
He said yes
I said yes
And we talked about cinema
And about the haiku
Send it to me she said
I will place it next to the skulls

Then she invited us to her office
We talked about Benedetti & Jorodosky
The barman also entered and identified
Himself as a middleman
He seemed a little nervous
But I shook his hand
And told him I would like
To do business with him

COMO CASI SIEMPRE


La mañana llega como casi siempre
temerosa de lo que puede ocurrir
cuestión sospechosa
caprichosa porque sólo es
un momento finito
con una determinación
que sólo está ocurriendo
en intermitencias frecuentes

en el aire el amor es más evidente
a miles de metros de la tierra
sobre las nubes efímeras
en las caricias del aliento del creador
que sacuden el avión
poniendo a prueba
la elasticidad de mis nervios

pero la nave lleva tu nombre
y tu hermosura impregna la cabina
tu belleza sobre una mesa
descansa mirándome
quedándose dormida
yo también cierro mis ojos

NIGHT OUT


I saw the old man drinking coke
Once again tonight
This time there was no commentary
From my boys

I figured he got to reach old age
Because of the same reason George Burns did
And not from drinking the cola drink

Nonetheless I thought of you again
Because one member of the group
Who was next to us
Had your profile & school girl manners

And wondered if I would need to write
Some sort of similar letter
To a future grandchild

Always thought of writing letters to my children
But this was the first time
I entertained the idea of my children’s offspring

I asked if they liked
This movie better than yesterdays flick
They said they liked them both about the same

On our way home
We stopped at our favorite taco stand
There was a woman in a red car
She seemed to be waiting for us

We did not pay much attention
Because we were hungry
And wanted to eat some carne asada

The kids got the table
They follow the protocol flawlessly
And I felt so proud

The woman in red had an attendant with her
They both got out of their vehicle
And sat close to us

We won she said
And her friend took out his cell phone
And make some calls

We won all over the state she said
As we bit the best red meat in the world
And cars honking and weaving flags
Were driving by & the boys began
To make comments about bread

GHOST


I place the photograph
Where I like it
And it keeps
Moving it back
Putting it back
And I place it again
And it moves it back
And we do this
On and on
I never thought
Such annoyance
Would be funny

RETROCESO


revolucionario derribado
ante el gigante de plasma
yaces recordando
tus antiguos triunfos
hipnotizado por la radiación
del arco-iris
luchas de nuevo
oprimiendo códigos plásticos
que siembran ampollas
en tus dígitos guerrilleros
en tu mano reposa
tu nueva arma de silicio
que el señor tenga piedad
de tu mente embrujada

THE MANUFACTURE OF ART


The man on the entrance with sunglasses was talking on a cell phone, he greeted us as we passed him by, his badge was next to his tie, I did not bother to read his name. We entered the building and I saw the girl, the girl that walks with her eyes. I thought I would never see her again and I was happy because she had endured. I was happy to see her inside her dream.

At the security desk one of the guards was suspicious of me, but the Native American was a believer, he smiled as he gave me a visitor badge, and walked with me through the glances & cautious smiles of office workers. The guard opened the office door and said:
“Hello”
A voice from inside said:
“Come in”
I entered and saw my friend smiling. The guard disappeared & a secretary fill his void. I did not trust her.
“Sit down” said my friend.
“I rather not” I said.
“That’s fine… tell my about your project”
“Not here”
“Do you want some coffee?”
“Sure”
“Follow me”

We walked pass the front desk and headed towards a reading room where there were two coffee makers. We filled the Styrofoam cups and exited towards the garden. We sat on the table next to a window and a window washer appeared.
“I hope you understand” I said.
“I do” he said.
“What you want to do” I asked.
“Unknown voices towards known destinations… transmissions towards the ether”
“That sounds good, but I think you need help”
“I know”
“You want me to set up a station?”
“Maybe we can do it with the net”
“That’s a good idea”
“I have to get back before they get upset”
“Relax, have fun, remember that you are not alone”
“Thank you”
“You are welcome”
I walked back to the security desk but the two fellows were not there anymore. 3 girls were now on duty and one of them looked so much like you.

ALBEDRÍO


Las llamas
Consumen el bosque
Los espejos se transforman

Días y noches de resplandores
Los pinos son antorchas
La fauna se convierte en veladoras

Es el amor silvestre
Es el cariño natural
Es una parte del mundo

Que siente calor
Que desea crear el futuro
Que desea consumir el pasado
Es el poema de nuestros espíritus

ABSOLUTELY


Rotation is only movement
Just like love is only love
And it moves lovers
To strange places

The truth is the truth
Lies are only lies
Nothing more
Usually a lot less

The world is the world
And it is yours
With a US passport
And now we can
See it spinning

Sinking to the bottom
Of the sea
The best place to be
The world
Is a wet location
For the most part

Getting your feet in the water
Is not a horrible thing
It is a matter of acceptance
Consider this
H20 is a chisel

Reason is simple
Persuasion is as natural
As life itself
It is those efforts
That create confidence

SANITY


Fear is smaller than love
On summer’s Sundays
When the western light
Takes the windows
That face the ocean
When my eyes penetrate
The beauty of your image
When our efforts
Become the only hope
Alive in our hearts
When the truth
Becomes brilliant like the sun
And dark as a night with a new moon
Compelling like the best of intentions

MEXICAN DISH


Eating tongue
Is not the same
As kissing it

The ingredients
Can hide the fact
Of the messages
Conveyed by grazing
And now converted
Into food & energy

Kissing a cow
Is not the same
As eating it

I rather kiss a fish
Before eating it
Fish are not paranormal
They swim in the sea
Waiting to become
The food of love

CAZESSÚS


I took my seat and waited
For the reading to begin
And what happened next became a show
Electricity and vocal chords
Colors and sounds
Spoken images
Visual metaphors
Images that danced
On the wall capriciously
Not everybody endured it and it reminded me
Of the time I saw Ginsberg read
And how some people got up
And left the theater
But THIS was in Spanish
And it was better
Because she reads good & she
Was more pleasant
To look and to listen to than Allen and
Her voice was the chanting of nature
The tremolo of instinct
The justification of humanness
She was the brave new planet
She was the intelligent provocatrix
She was the city that spoke

Outside there was a table
With food and
Numerous bottles of wine

I drank the wine
And observed
The dead fish inside the bowl
And it look delicious
So I grabbed a nacho ship
And dipped into it
Ate part of it
And felt the food particles
Getting stuck
In between my teeth
As I considered
The old Italian man serving
Red wine to poets & writers

Antonieta Villamil said:

It must
Be the wine
And then
She wrote:

For Juan,

To see is beyond
The dancing observation
The light on the eye
A premonition that exposes


I got in my car
And arrived at an obscure
And strange place
But the wailing of the fire engines
Alerted me of the right of way
I drove toward the city
Towards the lights
Towards downtown
And soon a parking attendant
Was trying persuade me
With a Cuban cigar
But I kept walking towards the tavern
And met my friends
They were drinking beer in green bottles
And reciting poems from memory
And when it was my turn
I tried to remember a poem
But I had an unpleasant recollection
So I created 1 poem
As I spoke

LIGHT & DARKNESS


There’s always shadows
On one hemisphere
Of the planet

As if that side of its body
Was bruised
Was hurting
Was recovering

And the other side
Pristine & beautiful
Filled with youth & exuberance

One side
Treated with medications
Incantations
Reconciliations

Transformations & modifications

The other
Making an appeal
To the restoration of darkness
The medicine of instincts
The pleasure of sleep

SUMMER WISH


There’s new birds on my tree
An international airport of
Winged creatures

All of them beautiful
All of them leaving messages
About you

I look at them
And then I look
At your motion picture
And it feels like
Summer more than ever

I have your images
On the mirrors
Of my mind
Now all I need
Is you

¡YA ESTÁ!


la espuma blanca
el suelo oscuro
contraste antropológico

instinto de una
vida transformada
existencia modificada
donde pisan los sueños

el aguador
con su porte de supervivencia
presencia de gladiador
atacador invisible
todo un alma de Dios

llenó mis 3 garrafones
y los rayos ultravioleta
golpeaban el chorro de agua
disparando luces por doquier

esa noche
mientras comentábamos
tus poemas
los poemas que modificarán
el futuro
un hermano profirió:

o sea
que desde allí...
¡ya está!
del pellejo
del cuero
de la piel
¡ya está!

SILBIDO

La velocidad de Dios
Acaricia el mundo
Y toca corazones
Transforma las cosas
Provoca música
Nuevos planetas
Evidencias de vida
Que hacen soñar
A los curiosos
Y suspirar
A los amantes

IS YOUR FATHER HOME?


The rich man knocked on the door
When I answered
I found him
Staring at the dog
On the floor

He was an idiot
He could not tell
It was dead

“Is your father home?”
“No”
“Do you know when he will be back?”
“No”
“Can you tell him I stopped by?”
“Yes”

He then left to one
Of his many business
Or perhaps to his mansion
By the beach

I placed the dog
In a black plastic bag
And buried it

thrill


the assessment of love
with the division
of germinating words
that grow like trees
in my soul
i have to survive
such state of your life
such existence
of your wishes

MORNING SHOPPING


They were at the where house
I greeted them both
1 heart felt hug for each

Are you okay Juan?
I don’t look okay?
You do
You look better
But your mind seems dispersed

My mind is in a thousand places
But my heart is in one place

Stop by the shop
Bring the kids
So we can eat together

As they were leaving
His mother said to me
God is blessing you
And I believed her

SHORE


Fishing line is transparent
Almost invisible
I first noticed it on my shoes
Then I saw it tangling up my leg

The fisherman told his wife
“Look… we got one”
They smiled at each other
And I smiled back at them
Untangled my feet
And walked away

I was stepping
On nature’s semiconductors
And my joints were thankful

A white & blue fishing boat
Was near the shore
And a father & son duo
Passed me by
He said to the young boy
Don’t get hooked

RIDE


Driving near the ocean on summer days
Is very pleasant
Brilliant particles of presence

Beauty signs are always
On my cardinal points
Sometimes on other cars too
Sometimes on foot

Most often
On the corner of my eyes
Identifying the similarities
Of your company

That mixture of fear & excitement
Becomes pleasurable
Like the idea of you

MEN @ WORK


The rear-actor is on the street
It has destroyed the pavement
Making a wet trench

Muddy waters
But this time
Without music
Just radio chatter

I noticed its case number
Near its roof
The roof that protects
Its operator
From the elements

A generator that has wheels
Was next it
It told the story
Of past and present victories
On its body

A dump truck arrived
With a greeting inscribed
In red and white numbers

It said:
We are always
Here for you

PRECIOUS


Becoming filthy
Might be unavoidable
When you make your stand
On the ground

It is always a learning experience
A vote towards cleanliness
You’ll never want to be tainted again

The most painful part is
The remembrance of
The invisible existence of life

The cleansing properties of fire
Uncomfortably necessary
Medicinal brewing of the heart
Mind & soul

GLANCE


Writing off the lines
Writing in strange places
And understanding
The commencement of feelings
Real & artificial

Feelings that propagate airborne
From heart to heart
From hospital to hospital
From beginning to end

Reading the glance of the soldier
As he shakes my hand
Rewriting my reality
As I drove on a street
Plagued by accidents

DRAWN BY DAY


The dominions of the mind
Are the easiest to create
Or to destroy
To tumble
To lift up
At the end
Only the truth remains

When I descended on the stairway
Towards the beach
I noticed it was tilted
And full of grains of sand
That taste like salt
Placed there by water

I stood on them
And considered
The people walking around
The ocean
The islands

The sanitary workers
Taking care of garbage

The depressed housewives
Walking like zombies

They young
The old
The terrified
The elated

MUSIC


—Juaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan, Juaaaaaaaaaan, Juaaaaaaaan! Somebody shouted in the night… since there must be a million Juan’s where I live, I did not paid much attention.
—Dad, I think somebody is calling you.
—You think so son?
—Yes, I think so.
—Do you know who it is?
—Let me go and find out.
—Very good then.
I returned to what I was doing: trying to persuade a friend —by writing— that “things” pretty much remain the same, it is human beings that change.
—Dad, it’s grammas friend.
—Thank you for looking soon.
—You are welcome Dad.
I walked towards my door and noticed she was already at the courtyard. I approached her.
—Hello.
—Hello Juan. Do you know where your mother is?
—I don’t know.
—Do you know what time she’ll be back?
—No.
— She supposed to meet me here. Can you take me home?
—Why don’t you wait a little bit longer…and see if she comes back?
—Okay, I will do that.
I walked back to my room and closed the door. The music was still on, the same song I have listened to many times, the same song that tells me something new each and every time. I remember something I read many years ago, it was a list about the most important things for people, number one was water, number two was food or shelter or something like that; what got my attention was that number five. It was music. Maybe if the lady waiting in the living room for my mother, maybe if she listened to some music she would feel much better. While the children were playing at being the coastguards, I was considering if English or Spanish is the better language. The better language to explain life. Perhaps music can heal cancer. The tingling of the guitars… the affirmation of the base… the unquestionable markings of the drums… the playful organ… the giggles that hide in the keyboards… the soulful sax… the soothing voices… the aftermath of the band.
—Juaaaaaaaan!
The same voice calling one more time. I felt better, readier, happier, determined to do what is proper and good. I stood and walked towards the door once again as I said:
—I’ll be right there!

24/7 OF BELIEF



I believe in the fire
That kindles my heart
That I can believe in

I believe in my dreams about you
I believe in your brightness
I believe in your darkness
I believe in what you think you believe

I believe you can sing
And I believe you will

I believe I saw a fish
Biting its own tail
I believe you might
Lose you wager

I believe you are
In a forest of reflections
Holding hands with
The most elusive of intentions

I believe in the worlds you dream about
I believe in your satellites of love
I believe in the space-craft you gave me

I believe the music
Will stay with you forever
And the colors will keep changing
Like they always do
When the light
Pierces the night

GATHERING


There were 2 gamming tables
I suggested poker
But they looked at me strangely

It is understandable
There were children present

But we played a game board
In which the one
With more trains on Europe
Would win

I never played that game before
But I had a good instructor
And at one point
I was even winning

I enjoyed the cow we ate
Spices always make
Such an endeavor
A tasteful practice

And the beer was also good
Enjoyed the good company
And the suspicious company too

The chocolate cake was a success
I couldn’t refuse coffee after that treat
Caffeine & alcohol
Have a peculiar effect

I thought about this
As I sat and watch the boys
Play videogames

There were so many games
One had its own waterfalls
And little boats full of gems
Being lost in the mists
Of the cascades

I recognized the music
Even though I had a feeling
We had a remote DJ
But nonetheless it was also good

At the end
The kids were explaining to us
Why they like science fiction movies
We sat and watched one with them
It had special effects

MATUTINA


El canto del pajarito
suena como ametralladora
más orgánico que metálico
placentero para unos
repelente para otros
y los niños tocan
sus tambores y cornetas
en la banda de guerra

POETIC PATRON


Este vato es poeta
De los cabrones
Está bien perro
Empezó desde morro

I did not know what to make
Of the introduction
But I think I took it
As a compliment

The guy in the new truck
Just looked at me and said
Nice to meet you
And I replied likewise
Then he drove away

Then my friend said that he was
Sorry about the interruption
That the fellow was
A client of his
And that he
Needed to take care of him

I told him
It was fine with me
And then he asked me
What he could help me with
And I told him I had come
To reimburse him

He then changed the conversation
And asked me if I was happy
And I answered yes

Then he explained to me
The things that make him happy
And they were perfectly
Understandable things
Like the sea
Competition sports
And sex

Then his neighbor
Opened a window
And began to play guitar

He’s kind of crazy my friend said
He looks happy to me I said

Yes he’s happy but he’s odd
He has this dog that lives with him
But he hardly feeds it
He says he doesn’t want her
To get fat

But since you speak English I think
You might get along with him
He’s a veteran

We continue chatting about
When we were children
And about the need for exercise

When I paid him
He said thank you
He told me he appreciates
The difficulty of delving into poetry
Day by day

We shook hands and said goodbye
He returned to his world of numbers
I returned to my
Wars with words

CAMOUFLAGE


Sometimes when they speak
Sorrow escapes from their mouths
And it is good that only a few notice

And you hope for the best
And then you feel their pain like Bill Clinton does

You realize that success is a commodity
This is when you feel like crying for the world
But then you control yourself and suffer in silence

And this sometimes provokes a strange laughter
And you try to control the muscles in your stomach
And when this fails you pray

Then you get used to it
And it gets better and you feel alright
And you are ready to start all over again

SCHOOLYARD


I waited at the school gate
And I saw a school girl
Hugging my son

He did not seemed embarrassed at all
Then I think I saw her
Give him a kiss on his cheek
But I wasn’t sure
Maybe she was just telling him a secret

I entered the school and approached them
She was hugging him alright
And he was just standing there
Looking good
Posing chic

This sort of thing did not happen to me
Till I was in 5th grade
He’s on 3rd grade and he’s already
Under the arms of an admirer

I need to have a father to son talk with him
I didn’t suspect it would have to
Be this early

PURSUIT


A greeting under artificial light
Is like the evasion
Of a bed of fire

Like nights full of energy
That work with the shadows
Of public chambers

Desires in the dark
Hidden from the rays of light
Hidden from the morning

With the help
Of nicotine stained curtains
Empty bottles of water next to your lipstick
And the soothing sounds
Of an AM radio

AFTER THE READING


Can I take your plate away?
Asked the waitress to
Poet (Francisco Bustos) on my right
He said yes but I said
Hold on let me grab one of those
Mini tostadas and I took it & placed it
Inside my mouth

Crosthwaite who was at my left said
I want the tamal
You want me to reheated for you?
Asked the waitress
He said yes

Then Carlos Monsiváis walked in
With his entourage
And sat on the next table
Ordered diet coke
And ate saltines

Crosthwaite worked on the tamal
And asked me:
Do you want some?
I hesitated for awhile
And then he said
It’s not that spicy
It’s just normal spicy
I grabbed my fork and stabbed the tamal
Cut a piece from it
And ate it
He was right
Is was as bland as it gets

I noticed there was a guy following us
With a video camera
I was told by poet
(Brandon Cesmat)
He was a film student
Working on a film on borderline poets
He looked like a good kid
He sat and ate & drank with us

On the far end table sat a couple
The lady look so much like you
Her companion seemed upset
She seemed so sad
And her eyes were like your
South American eyes
He looked at me with hatred
But I was just looking
At her eyes

What they don’t understand
said Crosthwaite
Is that when I am looking
Towards the heavens
With my eyes fixated up above
I am actually working
I agreed with that notion
Crosthwaite continued:
Pablo Neruda’s wife
Was actually very hard on him
Had him on a tight rope
Perhaps all writers wives
Are similar

Meanwhile I was thinking
On the Montecristo’s
That the clerk behind the counter
Had showed me
Shuffling with temptation
To smoke
Or not smoke

From a far
An old doctor looked at me
Sitting stoically at his table
He has lost most of his hair
What little he has left is white
And I remembered
When I was 8
Convalescing in his hospital
The doctor stretched his arm
As if trying to shake my hand
Via long distance

Look!
The baby is looking at you
Crosthwaite’s fiancee said
I love babies I said
Good you can take her for a week!
Crosthwaite said
I rather make my own
I answered

SUPERMARKET


I want chocolate!
I want a muffin!
I want potato ships!

But on my list
I have writing different things
Nonetheless I get some pastries
For the boys

I push the shopping cart
Towards the dairy section
I am looking for Swiss sour cream

A midlife lady looks at me
And says I am sorry
And then she walks away
Her eyes focusing on the floor
Slowly pushing her cart

When I am about to pay
For the bread
A tall American
Long white hair and beard
Blue eyes
Older but healthy
Dressed like a sea shaman
Asks the clerk to help him
With the ingredients of
A carton of soy milk

When the clerks informs him
He gives a radiant smile
And shows his hands
One giving thumbs up
The other holding
The carton of Ades

el carro verde


una niña vestida de verde
escoge flores
en el jardín de mi madre

camina lentamente
apuntando con sus dedo índice
las que llaman su atención

cuando sostiene 3 flores
en sus pequeñas manos
3 colores diferentes
camina hacia la calle
donde un auto la espera

detrás de las persianas
considero lo que acaba de ocurrir
recuerdo mi infancia

AROUND NOON


When my car broke down
We pushed it backwards
Uphill amongst traffic

This was not the first time
This is a mechanical failure
It is as common as death & love
Two things generated
In the world of circumstance
Just like when I spoke into the microphone

Not the first time
An eco answered me
And assisted my distress

When the tow truck arrived
I watched as my car was pulled
With a winch to the top of the platform

Then we drove towards the ocean
And I told the driver I liked his truck
He said: she old
And I kept my silence

When we arrived at the mechanic’s shop
My car was placed on the street
I paid the driver and said thank you

When the mechanic told me to get in my car
So I could steer it into the shop so his associate
And him could push the vehicle forward
I asked his associate if he could handle it
Since he looked beat & tired
He look into my eyes and said
I am married… I have no choice

BUENA SOMBRA LO COBIJA


The lady to my left
Made for a good conversationalist
It didn’t take long to strike
A good dialogue
It was somewhat eerie
Because she looked like
My ex wife

An old lady at the front of the line said:

Buena sombra lo cobija…

It was somewhat strange
Because my ex mother
In law was there too
Guarding her place on the line
It was her in the flesh
That I know for sure

The elderly woman spoke once again:

Buena sombra lo cobija….

The lady to my left looked at me
Like my ex wife did
When she was falling
In love

And the lady at the front whispered:

Buena sombra lo cobija

The lady who looked like my ex wife said
I am tired of standing & the floor looks clean
I think I will sit down
I think is a good idea I said
She sat down leaning against the wall
And crossed her legs
I also sat down beside her
She said: this feels like school
And I said: yes it does

Those words again:

Buena sombra lo cobija….

Do you remember the swimming pool
I asked her
She said yes
Remember it was waterless?
She answered: yes
Now it has water
But she kept looking at me
In that peculiar way

Buena sombra lo cobija…

And she said:
I worked very hard selling tickets
Raising funds for the school
And I never saw the fruits
Of my labor while I was there
But I know now
It is beautiful
And I said:
The swimming pool
Has been completely restored

Buena sombra lo cobija…

Her mouth began to dry up
And I thought of offering her
One of my Listerine oral care strips
But I didn’t want her to get
The wrong idea
To think I wanted to kiss her
Or something like that

Buena sombra lo cobija….

You have beautiful kids she said
Thank you I said
Are they twins she asked?
No, I replied
The otherness in her eyes
Was trying to breach
Into my soul

Buena sombra lo cobija…

She had sent her husband
To feed their children
While we waited in line
I noticed how she had her documents
Neatly organized in a binder
How intelligently she spoke
How good & kind her husband seemed to be
How pleasant their children were
How it was best for her
To be in that dimension

Buena sombra lo cobija….

Her cell phone rang and she answered it
She carried on with a conversation
While staring at me
Her eyes metamorphosing
And I waited for the old lady to say

Buena sombra la cobija…


My mother arrived with breakfast
(2 burritos and a cup of coffee)
And she saw the woman that looked like my ex
And her jaw dropped
It almost reached the floor
And the lady that
Looked like my ex giggled

Buena sombra lo cobija….

Then her husband arrived with their children
And she regained that sober look that
Accompanied her when I first saw her
Enter the government building
Then she left and the kind man
Who accompanied her
Took her place

Buena sombra lo cobija

I sensed a glance locked on my back
I turned around and looked
And there was a middle-aged woman
Dressed in black
With very fair skin
With very black hair
Her eyes were a mixture
Of kindness & desire
And she showed me the cover
Of the book she was reading:
The Law of Attraction

Buena sombra la cobija…

Then it was my turn
I walk towards the counter
And the clerk asked
How may I help you sir?

THE IMAGE MOVED LIKE A BOAT


We were lost
On the sea of our breathing
And it was ours

And there was nothing watching us
Nobody to ponder our
Unusual moments of happiness

It was better than Hollywood
Because the images
Were supra-real
Super surreal
Sup for the soul

I fought against fatigue
Your beauty was my energy
Your expressions were my vigor

LUZ DEL DÍA

Más bella que nunca
La luz de tu mundo
Acariciaba tu rostro
Y lo hacía resplandecer
Luminosamente existes
Te vi tan hermosa
Como la primera vez

EVENING WIND

I urinate on
The grass & pincher bugs race
Thirsty towards the liquid

ESTACIONAMIENTO


La bella señora
esperaba nuestra presencia
nosotros buscábamos especias

La bella señora
y un mecánico sudando
las gotas se deslizaban por su frente
y salpicaban la batería

Nosotros
nos concentrábamos
en la alquimia
de los alimentos

La bella señora
a un lado de nosotros
con un perro
en el asiento trasero

Nosotros
a un lado del mundo
las ideas eran
nuestras mascotas

La bella señora
con dilemas energéticos
nosotros con dilemas
de intercambios

Le bella señora
preocupada por su vehículo
nosotros preocupados
por la bella señora

Al alejarnos
en el carro viejo
aún se miraba bella
en la distancia