Starting Over

Artemio Sanchez returns to his hometown
thirty years after having moved to Minnesota.
Hell, his frozen neighbor is the Hispanic
poet Ray Gonzalez.

Lupita left La Rata and moved to Houston,
Meme married a divorcee from Nuquis,
El Caballo still works at the chicken plant.

They say El Beatle moved somewhere up north
and became a writer
but, no one knows for shure.

Speedy never made it back from Viet Nam,
La Reina del Deiz y Seis at Hidalgo Hall
died of cancer last year---

so many putos had the hots for her.
But when you visit the old hometown now
only strange Mexicans stare at you from Seguin.

It’s no longer nomas Yogi Berra’s déjà vu.
You’ve become a stranger
in your own land once again!