La Perra

                 in memory of Florinda Lopez

In junior high
La Perra

short and stocky
scared not only the girls

but even the boys.
that evil eye she gave you

wasn't free,
there was a vicious rumor

that someone
had seen her smile in 6th grade

but that couldn't be true
said the three cute girls

who were trying out
for the cheerleading squad.

La Perra might have had
a beautiful soul

but junior high
was just a missing link---

in high school La Perra
won district in shot put