Independence of Mexico from Spain/Hispanic (Latino) Heritage Month

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--© Rick Hulbert 2007

----------------To an Old Woman

Come, mother -
------your rebozo trails a black web
------and your hem catches on your heels,
you lean the burden of your years
on shaky cane, and palsied hand pushes
-------sweat-grimed pennies on the counter.
Can you still see, old woman,
the darting color-trailed needle of your trade?
-----The flowers you embroider
-----with three-for-a-dime threads
cannot fade as quickly as the leaves of time.
-----What things do you remember?
Your mouth seems to be forever tasting
the residue of nectar hearted years.
Where are the sons you bore?
------Do they speak only English now
------and say they're Spanish?
One day I know you will not come
and ask for me to pick
the colors you can no longer see.
-------I know I’ll wait in vain
for your toothless benediction.
-------I’ll look into the dusty street
-------made cool by pigeons’ wings
until a dirty child will nudge me and say:
-------“Señor, how mush ees thees?”



-----------------© Rafael Jesús González 2007


(New Mexico Quarterly, Vol. XXXI no. 4, 1960;
in When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple; Sandra Martz, Ed.;
Papier-Mache Press, Watonsville, Ca. 1996; author’s copyrights.)




------------------A Una Anciana


Venga, madre —
-----su rebozo arrastra telaraña negra
-----y sus enaguas le enredan los tobillos;
apoya el peso de sus años
en trémulo bastón y sus manos temblorosas
-----empujan sobre el mostrador centavos sudados.
¿Aún todavía ve, viejecita,
la jara de su aguja arrastrando colores?
-----Las flores que borda
-----con hilazas de a tres-por-diez
no se marchitan tan pronto como las hojas del tiempo.
-----¿Qué cosas recuerda?
Su boca parece constantemente saborear
los restos de años rellenos de miel.
-----¿Dónde están los hijos que parió?
¿Hablan ahora solamente inglés
y dicen que son hispanos?
----Sé que un día no vendrá
----a pedirme que le que escoja
----los matices que ya no puede ver.
Sé que esperaré en vano
----su bendición sin dientes.
Miraré hacia la calle polvorienta
refrescada por alas de paloma
hasta que un chiquillo mugroso me jale de la manga
y me pregunte,
-----------------— Señor, how much is this? —



---------------------© Rafael Jesús González 2007




(On September 13, 2007 the United Nations adopted a declaration upholding the rights of indigenous people. Four nations, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand voted against the declaration. All four are English-speaking nations.)
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