La Cumbia del Zombie

Chamaco was a zombie

his mente was gone

a bailar a bailar

la cumbia del zombie

brought over by Colombus

or pinche Cortez

a bailar a bailar

la cumbia del zombie

Chamaco’s chava La Malinche

swallowed the virus

a bailar a bailar

la cumbia del zombie

Chamaco was infected

with her crooked corazon

a bailar a bailar

la cumbia del zombie

Chamaco roamed Aztlan

thinking he was white

a bailar a bailar

la cumbia del zombie

Surf's Up

He shot his best friend
and went surfing.

The police thought
the apartment was haunted.

The female detective
tore her girlfriend apart after work.

Bullet casings made in China
appeared to squint on the floor.

"Surf's up!" said the killer
to his remaining blonde-haired friends.

A Venice Beach ghost
emptied cupboards at Cupboards & More.

Waves limped ashore
for all to see.

Starfish blinked
like their distant cousins.

When the cops booked him,
he was still salty and brave.

Will The Real Rocky Raccoon Please Stand Up

I was pretending to be Rocky Raccoon
I was upstairs recuperating soon.

The bullet squirmed and bled
doing its best impression of lead.

Each gunfight is sad.
So much geometry to add.

The Sheriff ruled out rope.
The deputy was a dope.

Rocky's six-shooter yawned on the nightstand
before it dozed off into La La land.

Rocky's cowboy vest curled up on a chair.
His teddy bear eyes were black hair.

I guess I'm done pretending to be a raccoon,
but please come back soon.

Zombie Abuela

His abuela rose from the grave
and scared the pants off the crummy town.

She crossed Geronimo Creek
and headed into town.

When she arrived home
her house had been demolished.

Half her sons were dead.
Her poet grandson fled.

It was a short trip
up memory lane.

Before the sun rose she was back
where she belonged.

But she had come to remind us
that it's not all about life.

The Gun

Like in a black and white
1940's movie

a dame and I
smoked cigarettes

her red lipstick
smeared

her platinum blonde hair
was driving  me crazy

with unpleasant desire
the gun in my coat pocket

shifted and felt heavier
the three bullets

waiting for their destiny
like all of us

the dame
had made up her mind.

Phonebooth Dinosaur

Saw you at the park today
my heart went pitter patter

dark clouds rose
higher and higher into the lowering sky

your mother had bought you a new bra
last time we talked

the sides of the sun
were on fire

love
was a raging map on Google

the NSA
knew what panties you wore each day

did Edison envision
this kind of illicit love?

La Llorona's Excuse

The brown flood waters of your heart
swept me downstream

with all the debris
from the barrio

trash, old tires
broken toys

even someone's abuela
next time I pray for rain

oh Virgen de Guadalupe
please warn me

so I can teach
my children to swim.