Among Students and the Mexican Wild

Among Students and the Mexican Wild I climb steep slopes and peaks And live high on the mountain top I walk through forest and jungle Papa cannot accompany me His work is in the fields Mama weaves baskets And cooks whatever grows in the earth We eat tortilla and wild greens I walk two hours to boarding school I will learn the Spanish tongue To grant them faith and prospect There they will break bread three times a day The girls leave behind chores They are in the first and second grade They hop down an obstacle course Onto the steps where mama broke her arm She always warns us to be careful Morning dew leaves the rocks wet and slippery Mama and papa are short on livestock Cow leather and old tires make our shoes Mines are broken Grandpa was without He’s raced through valleys in his youth He’s still strong A six year old boy, one of my mates treks to school His legs grow heavy and weak And blisters pain his feet He waits for the rain to subside And walks in stride He stops to snack on leaves Cougar and coyote roam the region For he must be observant and calm He is behind-time Marckincia Jean Free verse 06/19/19