An Inventory of Cultural Fragments
       

Tío Gerardo in a Dodge Caravan playing
Chavela Vargas. Caballos without
saddles flowing fields. Frijoles
con tortillas y queso for breakfast.
Bus rides from Guadalajara to Teo-
caltiche. Guitaras fluttering
near the quesadilla ladies.
Faded announcement on walls. Murals
made of iron and fuego. Soccer
jerseys soaking summer sweat. Poetry
in Spanish with broken English
translations. Broken windows.
Cathedrals gold-plated. Agua
de jamaica y tacos de arrachera.
Mezcal inside jazz clubs.
Crickets inside my mouth. Salsa
brava. Policemen with pump-
actions. Fountain plazas at midnight.
Abuelo asleep in the front room.
Dormant volcanoes. Flowers
that wouldn't survive the north.

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Copyright © 2022 Alan Chazaro All rights reserved
from Piñata Theory
Black Lawrence Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission