Variation on a Theme by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the tamales
that were on
the stove heating

and which
you were probably
having
for dinner

Perdoname
they were riquisimos
so juicy
and so steaming hot

Tino Villanueva

This poem was taken from Shaking off the Dark published by Arte Publico Press.
Read William Carlos Williams’ poem “This Is Just To Say” at Poets.org

“Poet and writer Tino Villanueva was born in San Marcos, Texas in 1941. In the early 1970s, he began publishing his poems and he became part of what has been called The Chicano Literary Renaissance. His work highlights the tension as well as the richness of living within two different cultures. He writes in both English and Spanish, often switching between the two languages. In 1972, he published his first collection of poems, Hay Otra Voz Poems (There Is Another Voice Poems). That year he also wrote Chicano Is an Act of Defiance.” Read the rest of this biographical note of Villanueva at the Southwestern Writers Collection website.