Anniversary Of Unrequited Love

Heart on his sleeve for almost
forty years,

that ain’t right,
what a silly Chicano,

for that is what he is,
and has always been,

no Mexican, no Mexican-American,
no stinking Latino,

god forbid he ever
accept the word Hispanic,

screw that,
oh, yes, he’s loved you that long,

wearing his heart on his sleeve
has not been easy on him,

scratched up from running
into rosebushes,

spilling hot bean caldo on it
has resulted in scar tissue,

cut by sharp, hard tortillas
when times are lean,

allergic to cilantro,
that’s gringo crap

says his primo Pelon,
his cousin Pelon is always right,

it all has to do with you wearing
your heart on your sleeve he yells,

the sleeve itself torn to shreds like a piñata
which has kept it's word to the bitter end.