alurista

Ixtoc

all over
all over the world
ixtoc speaks of the elder bones
perhaps of the first human race
and its brethren giants
plants and animals
“b some body and speak forth”
the hummingbird hummed
and the world listened
as houston’s shores gazed
in awe
to the spill
and el paso
witnessed the exodus and the pride
and the perseverance in labor
in the production of wealth
with limited
returns
the people choose to stay
and pay taxes
driving junkyards off
out of the barrio’s borders
–the real borders–
people versus junk
junk versus flowers and songs

This poem is taken from Alurista’s Return, published by Bilingual Press.

Alurista is the nom de plume of Alberto Baltazar Urista Heredia (born August 8, 1947), a Chicano poet and activist.