Barrio God

The barrio God
took more

than seven days
to make this mess

the tortilla factory
broadside

diesel busses
paused like bread

Butterkrust
on Broadway

was a far out dream
for the Catholic

school girls
dragged by their mothers

to Centeno's
the barrio God

stacked up
in Studebakers

a mangy dog
of steering wheels

he put the river
too far away

for abuela
to kick its tires

a pot of beans
quite bulletproof

the barrio God
would stick his face

into the boiling caldo
and not ever think

and that's how he created
the gated barrio

for us to keep
as junk