55 LATINO rons

(DIT(D U

VICTOR HERNANDEZ CRUZ

L E R 0 Y V . Q U I N T A N A

AND VIRGIL S UA R E Z

PERSEA BOOKS New York Contents

Introduction xi Francisco X. Alarcon Shame 3 L.A. Prayer 4 Julia Alvarez Storm Windows 5 Dusting 5 Homecoming 6 Jimmy Santiago Baca from Poem VI 9 horn Poem XXIII 10 Sandra M. Castillo Leavings 12 Abuelo Leopoldo Sneaks a Bite of Cream Cheese 13 For El Nino on His Arrival in The United States 14 Adrian Castro Pulling the Muse from the Drum 15 Herald of Cocos (I) 17 Rosemary Catacalos Morning Geography 20 Women Talk of Flowers at Dusk 21 Lorna Dee Cervantes The Poet Is Served Her Papers 23 Blue Full Moon in Witch 24 From the Cables of Genocide 24 Judith Ortiz Cofer The Latin Deli: An Ars Poetica 26 The Medium's Burden 27 My Grandfather's Hat 28 Lucha Corpi On Being Alone: Berkeley, 1969 30 Rehearsals for the Wreck 31 Victor Hernandez Cruz from Mesa Blanca 32 Mesa Blanca 33 Time Zones 35 Silvia Curbelo Photograph from Berlin 39 Summer Storm 40 Witness 41 Martin Espada The Lover of a Subversive Is Also a Subversive 43 Coca-Cola and Coco Frio 44 La Tumba de Buenaventura Roig 45 Sandra Maria Esteves Who Is Going to Tell Mel 48 Oshun's Love Poem 51 Ocha 52 Gustavo Perez Firmat Nobody Knows My Name 54 Ghost Writing 54 Bilingual Blues 55 Diana Garcia La Curandera • _ 57 When Living Was a Labor Camp Called Montgomery 58 Guy Garcia Day of the Dead 60 Red Line 61 Lourdes Gil Outline for a Cuban Folk-Dance 62 Prague, 1924 63 Magdalena Gomez Mestiza Legacy 65 Telling 67 It Happens While Presidents Play Golf 70

VI Ray Gonzalez The Recurring Dream of the Snakes as a Gift for My Aching Shoulder 73 Howl . 75 Homage to Lucian Blaga 77 Memory of the Hand 81 Cesar A. Gonzalez-T. B.C., Before Clinton 83 "Damn!" 84 Daniel del Valle Hernandez Rain Lantern 85 Tropical Weather Report 85 The Structure of a Dream 86 Juan Felipe Herrera Southern California Nocturne (Circa 1964) 87 The Sea During Springtime 90 Carolina Hospital Sorting Miami 94 Finding Home 95 An Unexpected Conversion 96 Wasabi Kanastoga El Elvis 97 Family 98 The Spy 99 E. A. Mares Juana La Loca 101 Christmas at the Health Care Center on the West Mesa 102 Discourse of the Severed Head of Joaquin Murieta 103 Demetria Martinez Hit and Run 106 Discovering America 107 Dionisio D. Martinez Standard Time: Novena for My Father 110 Variations on Omar Sharif 111 Victor Martinez Unlucky Cracks 113

VII The Sierras 113 The Chase 114 Julio Marzan Ethnic Poetry 116 Ode 116 The Old Man 117 Pablo Medina Calle de la Amargura 119 Philadelphia 120 Cuba 120 Jesus Papoleto Melendez EcologicHumanitahanlsm 122 Tie Pigeon Squawk 123 Pat Mora Artista Cubano 126 Siy Woman 127 Gean Moreno Amantes Sin Tiempo 128 LorcainHell 129 Elias Miguel Munoz Repetitions 131 Summer of the Body 132 Mariano, tne Air 133 Ricardo Pau-Llosa Frutas 135 Mulata 136 Carios Alfonzo 138 Pedro Pietri The First KocA and Roll Song of 1970 140 Ode to Witch Liberty 141 Nighttime Sunshine Mind Game 144 Naomi Quinonez Aye Que Maria Felix (or Maria Was No Virgin) 147 Post-Colonial Contemplations 148 Leroy V. Quintana Poem Written During One of My Yearly Visits from California 151 Don Chuey 152

VIII Alberto Alvaro Rios Kid Hielero 153 Combing My Hair in the Hall 156 Diana Rivera Poetry of Holy Water 158 Bird Language 159 Death of the Lady Slipper 163 Margarita Luna Robles Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird (1940) 165 The Dream 166 Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair (1940) 166 Luis J. Rodriguez They Come to Dance 168 Bethlehem No More 170 Deathwatch 172 Cecilia Rodriguez-Milanes . Muchacha (After Jamaica) 178 Leo Romero Again I Find Him 181 Marilyn Monroe Indian 182 Benjamin Alire Saenz Uncles (Who Lie Still and Perfect) 184 Deborah Salazar For Kathy Who Likes Happy Endings 189 Alba 189 For Carrie 190 Virgil Suarez Izquierdo 192 Jicotea/Turtle 193 Carmen Taf olla Letter to Ti 196 Marked 197 Compliments 198 David Unger Night in Oaxaca 200 The Girl in the Treehouse 201

IX Gina Valdez English Con Salsa 203 Where You Froml 204 The Hands 205 Gloria Vando New York City Mira Mira Blues 207 Cante Jondo 211 Ronda 213 E. J. Vega Why My Mother's Teeth Remained in Cuba 214 First Breakfast 214 Alma Luz Villanueva Delicious Death 216 The Wind 218 An Act of Creation 219 Tino Villanueva Scene from the Movie GIANT 221 Haciendo Apenas La Recoleccion 222 Rafael Zepeda Pony 224 Trans Pacific 225 Biographical Notes 227 Acknowledgments 239