Chicano House Hunting

She said (so seriously) there’s no such thing
as a Chicano-only house.

I said, I beg to differ,
as we peered into the casa

where once the famous Chicano poet
Lalo had lived.

The street was crowded with other houses
just like his.

How could poetry have its roots here
I asked her.

She scratched herself
which I thought was a very unlady-like thing to do

and had no answer
to my previous question.

Soon the barrio spread out
and disappeared into a blinding white light.