Reynosa

I once visited an orphanage in Mexico - this was my impression.

Bare feet running on packed ground

littered with broken glass bottles,

skittering past the jagged rocks.

Breathless, laughing, you reach the gate

tall, high, and studded with iron.

Inside lies your paradise

of rusty swings and shaky slides,

dirty sandbox filled with leaves

and others just like you.

Tattered clothes and brown tanned legs

jumping circles with the rope.

The red hot sun disappears from view

and the starlit sky is shown.

Specks of silver, velvet sky

broken by the palm tree leaves,

lying face up on the low brick wall.

Reviews

[G. Cedillo]

i really felt this, seems like a book i'm reading now -- Stones for Ibarra. a sad, but well put read

thanks for sharing this,
g.

[Christopher Byron]

Excellent imagery. I like it a lot.

[bluessadmood]

oh such misery in this world you can not believe,this so sad ,its their heaven,rusty old and crumbling,allow me tell a story here please it fits the weather,few months ago,an american squad dashed in some building never knew what it is ,they saw children,apparently it was an orphanage,off course due to the chaos in the country ,those responsible for the house ,non of them were there ,the children were so emaciated some have never eaten for day you could see almost their bones through the skin ,those in charge turned out to sell all the aids they get for these starved children,they were left alone and it seemed they fled once knew there was a raid,if the children were left alone they would have died for sure,i hate those orphanage homes,there is always a scandal of some type that will flare up,the great disgrace in this is the hurt of young children,who should be treated with all kindness,or else we are monsters and non human,great issue you raise here ,great work,thank you

[holly]

Very well crafted! The tone is descriptional rather than emotional, which gives the work dignity. And the descriptions are excellent. I can very nearly feel the heat of the ground in the afternoon, hear the children laughing. I really liked "Inside lies your paradise...of rusty swings and shaky slides". The juxtaposition of the word paradise against the visuals is very powerful. All around good poetry.

That children can have fun in such a broken down place... I'm not sure whether to find this depressing or uplifting, but I would like the poem equally either way.