Tuesday
Apr062010
apartment 8 h, 50 paladino - 5/30 national poetry month
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 5:31AM mornings smelled like farina and fried eggs
spilled over the edge of the plate one time
tio got to play boy scout with my blisters
popped them with a pin, ointmented them
covered the booboo gently with a curita
or maybe she just put toothpaste on it
i remember both happening
it smelled like pit bulls in his room
green mentha alcol in her's
thick chalky white toothpaste
that stuck to the sides of the sink
and her favorite maja soap in the bathroom
it looked like sunshine dustbeams
chainlink fences, playgrounds,
basketball and handballs courts
buildings as far as the eye could see
empire state building from the sala
taino towers from the bedroom windows
dolls, pushtoys and punching balloons
pink house dress and pearly buttons
round soft belly to hug and rest upon
while sitting on the sofa after breakfast
it felt like thin sheets sets de la tercera
thick foam pillows, the harder the better
curious fingers run carefully over the guayo
cool window on warm cheek
drawing hearts on moist glass
little fingernails dragged over the guiro
pañitos con pine sol to rub the coffee table shiny
sobitos de vicks, aqua florida y besitos
aching giggly tummies and bites from abuela
porque ella no quiere carne de aqui, lo quiere de aqui
it sounded like the price is right
sweeping floors with no dustpan
two playing cards that were swept up would do
dirty red heart queen, black spadey jack
the clack clack of the door knocker
on the other side of which was always "who?"
we were usually happy to see them
soft pale pink nearly flat chanclas shuffled
it sounded like jibarito tunes about sisters in manicomios
guiros and cuatros, salsa y merengues anytime of the day
and there was always laughter and "i loff ju"
it tasted like aceitunas out of the jar
tocino, pastelillos and bacalitos
stacks and stacks of export soda crackers
dunked in sweet cafe con leche
chunks of welfare cheese and pasta de guayaba
arroz con gandules, arros con dulce, arroz con pollo,
arroz con orejitas, y mi favorito arroz con leche
se quiere casar con una viudita de la capital
it tasted like forever
jani rosado copyright © 2010
Reader Comments (2)
very cool. I found your blog on latinabloggers.com and I am glad I did. I am Boricua from Queens...much love sista!
Vaya! Thanks for the feedback and love. I'll find you on FB. :)