Ancestery

Long before I was

Me

I was my

Mother, who was her

Mother

Who is

Arawak,

Boriken,

Taino.

Her blood in my veins is

Puerto Rico

The land of enchantment

with its hot,

sticky touch.

It is her home

Mountainous

and wild, like the ocean

that holds it

sheltering people who look

nothing like me, but carry the same

heart, beating, giving them life.

It is her home

Caguas

 its cracked gravel roads

and stone house walls, worn

with the memories of generations.

The dictation of a

Catholic God

His teachings, reprimands

Tattooed

 in the eyes of the old

and the skin of the young

Tender mothers blessing

their hijos y hijas

in the name of

Santo Dios how his constant

Presence is seen

in the form of a cross

Hanging on

Necks

Walls

Stuffed animals

And always over the beds

of those in preparation

 to be touched by his grace

It is her home

Where familia

is first and large

kitchens in constant use

Like a chef, gramita dictates

The cleaning of

meat, chopping of vegetables

and usages of spices

As the women comply

 watching the finishing

touches

in hope that they two

will have

the magic to

create

Flawless

Rice 

Beans

Pernil

Morcilla

and Bacalaito

Serving the freshest food

to guest

then men

next children

after the women

who receive in return

the dishes

of satisfied stomachs

It is her home

The birth place of salsa

it’s rushed

impatient messages

Enforced by

the smooth blend

of

Congas

Bongos

Guitar

Palitos

Cuatro

Bambardino

And timbales, women and men

Dancing

All hips and quick steps

To the powerful voice of

Hector Lavoe

Who at seventeen

moved from Ponce

to New York with the promise of

answered dreams

instead receiving

the tempting control

of addiction

followed by  the sequence

deaths of his

father

son

mother-in-law

and health

 Trying desperately to cut

the life from

his infected body

falling like a bird, shot

from the balcony

whose lining streets held his

soul prisoner of this earth

long enough to be the

voice

of Puerto Rico

with” Todo Tiene Su Final”

and “Mi Gente”

he exited his life

in the hand

of Aids

leaving in his place

 the pride of

her home,

my home

 Puerto Rico

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

comment, critique, give advice, anything lol much love!

Reviews

[Karina Longo]

God, this is awesome! I love the mix with the Spanish words which is very witty due to the 'theme' of your poetry.