Pyramid Of The Patas

When el ocho patas
climbed the Pyramid of the Sun

he made it
look so easy

the tourists
stared in awe

the locals
tried to figure out

how to make money
from Ocho's feat

the stupid teenagers
were unimpressed

a mangy dog
tilted its head sideways

a crazy thought
jiggled in his canine mind

like a girl jogging topless
on a faraway beach

Abuela De Ocho

El ocho ate his beans
tall tortillas at the ready

he remembered his abuela
always telling him

never fight
harder than you have to

there's a limit
to what effort

there are roads
you do not need

bridges built
for no rime or reason

birds that
do not need to fly

but el ocho patas
spun his wheels

thinking that abuela
would not approve

The Young Ocho

She lived on the
ocho calles of Seguin

the lawless town
which floated above it

ringing its pan dulce
above her house

her skinny legs
filled with double

the police cars
wore a carnation

when Ocho
was popping fireworks

against the ancient sea
which still made its noise

along College Street
and flooded the library

where el ocho patas
had once flown on two fake feet

El Garracorazones

Like a garrapata
he clung to her

thinking that love
was the real thing

como una Cola
the buey

believed in the American way
and the American way

did not believe in him
so when el ocho patas

kicked your ass
you knew it

his ocho corazones
broken by his girl

he cried spider tears
in a dark closet

el mero mero
brown recluse

Andaba A Gatas

El ocho patas
andaba a gatas

crawled
like a baby

was sometimes the shame
of his generation

he shat his pants
he puued his sentences

he might lose
a leg or two

he might not
jump as high

but you can see it
in his eyes

he might as well have
ocho ojos

for you
ocho pendejos

Un Trip Thru The Outlet Mall

in memory of the Licano poet Big Sal Gallinas

El ocho patas
went to the outlet mall

looking
for a chava

the young girls in shorts
were flashing horts

there were too many
sunglasses for sale

the food court
didn't sell real tacos

the Indian fellow
was yellow

the custodian
was Bodian

el ocho patas
scattered everywhere

El Ocho Patas

If you must know
my mother was a spider

she dug up
tortillas in the backyard

my barrio was stolen
by a girl in trenzas

my cousin
took all the trees to town

the police arrested
the color brown

my mother
spun her web

caught
her  Sunday sons

the wind would bring its knife
to shake us blue

the barrio got by
with what gente it could get its hands on

and if you must know
I spit like a spider with my feet