For His Granddaughters

“occasionally el ocho patas

suffers from lucidity…”

Being a man

I know how men can be

that I may not be around

when you might need

advice from an old man:

girls, the vices of men

can derail your life

their jealousies will stunt your growth

keep your minds clear

don’t let their fog blind you

don’t let their displeasure

of your independent souls stop you

avoid their road blocks

avoid their false encouragement

keep going the way

your heart wants you to go

may you have great wonderful lives

which only you can make come true

Plastallica

El ocho patas' band
was called Plastallica

they played heavy plastic music
they wore black clothes

black boots
black eyes

black underwear
all made of heavy plastic

man they were the most
heavy plastic band ever dude

el ocho's amp
was big and black

and the whole stage shook
like a plastic earthquake

keeping the dead
Mexican rock and roll heroes

awake until dawn
and then some damn

Sunglass At Night

El ocho patas
wears his sunglasses at night

he can't see a damn thing
he can't see immigrants

he can't see poverty
he can't see the homeless

he can't see the rich
he can't see the devil

he can't see God
he can't see

La Virgen de Guadalajara
he can't see La Virgen de Tan Juana

he can't see a damn thing
he's wearing his sunglasses at night

and it won't get better
when daylight comes

Rodriguez Middle School

They had been together
since Rodriguez Middle School

he had been so nice
the cutest guy

in her grade
all the girls were jealous

everyone said
they were made for each other

but by tenth grade
he became abusive

she couldn't even look
in the direction of other boys

he'd punch her on the shoulder
hurt her bruise her

but she loved him
he'd slap her

and jerk her arms
and kick her sometimes

they had been in love
since Rodriguez Middle School

at fourteen she got pregnant
he started cheating on her

with her best friend
her heart was broken

in so many pieces
one night she got

her cousin's gangster gun
Bang! Bang! (My Baby Shot Me Down)

Bang! Bang!
Rodriguez Middle School

Broken Corazon

After a girl named Rosa
had broken

el ocho's heart
he took it

out of his chest
tore it apart

wall by wall
vein by vein

found the
broken part

worked hours
and hours

day after day
night after night

until he had
the damn thing

working as good
as new

and then
the dumb ochito

fell madly
in love again

This Is Just Pa Decirte

I have eaten
the heart
that was in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for the Aztec priest

forgive me
for saying that
our ancestor's shortcomings
were so delicious

Doomsday

The doomsday asteroid

that hit

el ocho patas

on the head

and bounced off

into the Gulf of Mexico

had surprised NASA

el ocho had

a big welt on his head

for weeks afterwards

his memory

of the whole event

was fuzzy math

to say the least

and the scarred earth

was no help

the asteroid

boiled under the sea

warm as pee

but el ocho recovered