Macias Mexican Bakery

Macias had been operating his Mexican bakery
for thirty-eight years
when the doctors broke the news to him.

His wife had three months to live.
Still he woke up every morning at two,
went to work, made everything

that his customers were accustomed to
and at three in the afternoon he hurried home,
left some girl in charge, I forget her name,

picked up flowers, roses mostly,
and cherished the little time
he had with his wife.

But the day after he buried her,
he boarded up the bakery.
I was ten and sorely missed the maranitos.





maranitos-a pig-shapped
molasses flavored morsel
made for chicanitos like me.