Long Tortillas Poems

"Mi primo" means my cousin in Spanish.
He calls me his "primita"- little cousin.
This is the story of how mi primo
Taught me about the meaning of bread;
Of the meaning of tortillas...
He and I are exchanging languages...

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The poetry of the COVID era (read to the end)

Thai pineapple rice. Wonton and Yaki Soba
Tortufo ice cream. Scallopini veal, halva and also soda
Tamago, octopus and yellowtail. Ribs, pasta fagioli.
Meat lover’s pie, sword fish, big...

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The Universe is contained 
Not in a unlimited      vast    space
But in the street in front of my yard
My universe is magnificent
Blackholes in stomachs and cyclones of tortillas...

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Growing up poor and Chicano in the barrio
parents working in the fields is all we know.
They tell us to go to school and learn all we can,
get educated and create a life master plan.
Knowledge and...

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Froth
           by Odin Roark

Come
Be my operator
Me your camera

Medium shot
Lower Manhattan sidewalk café
He in Armani suit accented with Ferragamo tie
She with Jimmy Choo and Prada outfit
Both...

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At the closest point, Russia and the U.S.
Are less than two miles apart
If an altercation breaks out between them
Using bikes instead of tanks would be smart

Baby robins eat 14 feet of worms a day
Eeew! That's...

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At the closest point, Russia and the U.S.
Are less than two miles apart
If an altercation breaks out between them
Using bikes instead of tanks would be smart

Baby robins eat 14 feet of worms a day
Eeew! That's...

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Guatemala Tour

The Mayan’s were the focus
Of our Guatemala stop
We saw some ancient ruins
Had a lunch and stopped to shop
That there describes the outline
Of any tours you take
But the devil’s in the details
In the memories you...

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At the closest point, Russia and the U.S.
Are less than two miles apart
If an altercation breaks out between them
Using bikes instead of tanks would be smart

Baby robins eat 14 feet of worms a day
Eeew! That's...

Read More

THE  MEXICAN

I went over to my friends house last night.
I love it when he smiles with a grin,
He holds the door open, and welcomes me in.
With a style of a gentleman.
"MI CASA ES SU...

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Charley my wheel horse says that Jim is a yack, always jawing now.
They are both scrunchers, they nearly swallow their teeth on chow.
Jim is unsalted, but not lazy or slow, although he has trail dust...

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Escaping grinding poverty
And violent crimes
You left scant existence
Holding your Dad's hand
In the middle of the night
Going on a long journey
Dreaming of a free land

Miles and miles you walked
Learning for the first time
Price of liberty is...

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"La Voz"

La Noche sin agua --- I spill my loving lips
Dancing, laughing, and celebrating life 
I am his queen, aka' dulce Nina
A night he must not forget 

Lunesta ... Suave ...
He savors every moment;
Then questions...

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With some Sauteed onions in a pan on some melted butter and olive oil
Throw in slices of button mushrooms, green pepper and zucchini according to your style
Some chopped garlic and cumin powder are the key...

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Travel Time  Tropics Trip  Tepid Temperature  Tourist Town 
Tunnel Toll Ticket Taker Taxi Token Transit Trail Transport Truck 
Tractor Trailer Train Track Trouble Test Terror Turf Tribal Territory 
Tender Trap  Tricky...

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I was made
 For war.
   She let her
 Sugar pour.

   She was made
 For peace.
   I fought with
 The police.

   I have a head 
 Full of...

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The merry widow’s marvelous mincemeat melody
Was gradually heard around three by the old oak tree
Honestly said Bert, the bumblebee, is this the Grand Prix?
Miraculously, there was a royal red revelry

A chickadee landed on the right...

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There's this break room—
Where I work, of course—
That holds three microwaves,
one refrigerator, a stove,
and two vending machines.
All cannot be younger than
Five years at the earliest.
This break room is tiled
But rather dirty despite
Monthly scrubbing and mopping.
I...

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I
Quetzalcoatl was great, maybe not so good
The generous mother was "Maiz Deo"
Ancient Mexicans built their chinampas
The Lake in Tenochtitlan had tall bunkbeds
With squashes and beans, to feed thousands
But when Maiz Deo gave them corn, they...

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I remember Grandma’s   beauty
  The way she’d grace her smile at me
I remember Grandma’s duty
  Holding family together

I remember the old large home 
  A large yard with a cyclone...

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As I travel through my hometown Chicago's neighborhoods
   There's a comfy, down-home feeling; these places are good
One of the things that makes them this way
   is their ethnic character and pride,...

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I am now thinking of taking this my gal on drive to shop
fine Temecula with stores and antique shops to buy goods from.
We'll step an aisle soon of Granny's narrow walk and find there some
singular,...

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Juan (Johnnie) Avocado Seed
By George W. Clever-----15 September 2020

A migrant boy in California 
His only toys were avocado pits
Making castles at the Rancheria 
In the dust with the pits where he sits
Until told of a...

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Lazily spent afternoons on the pea green sofa
Watching TV novella’s with Nana
Eating searing salsa with tamales
And homemade tortillas with mantiquilla 
Dripping from the cylinder of cloud nine
Belly protruding from a too small shirt
The smell of...

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With an unprecedented shortage of basic supplies
People worldwide are learning to be wise.
Loo rolls, medicine and the safety mask.
Making do with what we already have is the new task.

I’ve seen diapers and bras used as...

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