Mission Valley tracks
bend across the river
to scribble these words --Hay turistas aquí -- here
there be tourists -- Captain,
there be whales here!Old Town, San Diego. Trolley.
On and off. Off & on. On/off.Blue line south toward border
rattle rattle shake and roll
next stop Washington Street
la siguiente estacion
calle Washington.So far to go I'm going home
to Tijuana to pay my rent
and return to my suave little
hole-in-the-wall with dos balcones
above that palm-blessed parking lot.Tonight another class that
my landlord loves to scorn
ah yes, so cynical
Tijuanense, he."You'll never learn anything
from those strawberries
and simpletons, no?"Nunca vas a aprender nada de
esas fresas y sencillas, no?But that's okay. I exagerate to the
point of ridiculousness, and make
him say what he never will admit.For your entertainment.
Besides, tonight I'll see Maria
at our class. That
alone will be worth...
much....Yesterday went to airport
to collect my Mama.
Now she's home, and Papa
will soon follow. I cooked
dinner for her last night.The dog was almost as glad as I
to see her home again.Not just safe and sound
although of course that
first and most... but also
now
I am done with a summer of
house-sitting their pet and
their art collectionand I can go home again
across the line
into
Mexico.Que padre. How cool
to live in my childhood
dream, my lifelong
foreign
land next door.Querida Tijuana,
esta
pagina
es
toda
para ti
Juana .