1bigblackblog

GOD MAN ANIMAL

as the yelling shouting and household uproar lessened
la granmadre walked into the sitting room and
quietly told la hija to follow her

out a rear door across the courtyard pass the wooden
henhouse along the right side of the cowpen through
the horse enclosure and on down the footpath to a
fallen tree used as a bench that overlooks the river

after some many minutes of silently watching the
water flow by la granmadre opened her worn leather
shoulder bag pulled out a glass flask and two tiny
clay cups which she half filled with tequila de tipica

an exchange of "con dios" preceeds a single long
emptying sip

" hija, daughter, that was quite a noise you made.
quite a long and loud noise. almost as loud and long
a noise su madre would make over your father.
those days! those days before your mother understood

those days before mija understood what i came
to understand, a husband is both man and animal.
a husband is animal like el gallo el toro el caballo.
the rooster the bull the horse

a husband is also man. a man who keeps the roof
overhead the table with food and loves his children
his parents his wife. hija. mija. this is what you have "

the tiny clay cups were again half filled another
exchange of "con dios" offered and a single long
emptying sip as the river flows and splashes on by.