A hopemonger comes he sells
hope, in Spanish
esperanza.
Abuela used to say
They were so poor in Zacatecas they
Ate ant honey—
Miel de hormiga—
Bees, hah, way too expensive, muy caro
mijo, carísimo, ja!
I was small I imagined
I got X-ray
Vision and I’d freak out when in town,
To buy shoes,
Shoes we couldn’t grow,
Or Valium,
Staring at everyone’s bellies
And yelling at them
To go get it checked, to save
Yourselves!
¡Cúrense! ¡Por Dios!
Met my future self
Years later, many, fifty,
On a mirror,
From when Baja
Is a barony
Loud with huizache &
Spiders,
If you say so
pero en español, por favor…