viernes, octubre 26, 2012

Tío Primo

My uncle is one of those people
who wanders through this
without noticing details
or seeing signs
not even written ones
just the big bangs
whenever we walk together
I have to stop him
at a street crossing
where are you going uncle?

One night he came back from work
tired as any utility man is going to be
after spending ten hours doing
whatever has to be done in a Laundry.

My uncle is honest
the Chinese owner
(because he is from China, then Asia,
who came first?
The man or the nation?
The nation or the continent?)
no, you're right
why mention nationality at all?
The owner lets my uncle be
a cashier
a washer
a folder
a tailor
an ass
a manager
a delivery boy.

It was a rainy night
fall was getting cold
but far from winter
a good night home
for any one with a taste for pot
the kind that makes you endure
the news from an island
raped by Comesolos.

This is what I wanted to say
with all this nonsense
my uncle in spite of coming
from Dominican Republic
can still lift his eyebrows
people surprise him
he did not see my cousin
growing up
he saw iPhones, flat TVs
I saw four iPads
and three androids
coming in and coming out
the boy was clearly working
in some warehouse
not listed in the IRS
I guess
the boy was already a man
his girlfriend was already a woman
very young
very vulgar
they were entering the house that night
with two suitcases and a big plastic bag.

"She must be pregnant", my uncle thought,
without smelling his grandparenthood.





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