to the single college kids causing me to doubt the value of my large family so young:

now 31
racing past the prime



and who taught and modeled the right way to be adult?
and who taught and modeled the drive to be more than you were?




And now these prizes
people past able to be value placed
these people fill cramped living spaces with their coughs and laughs and boogers and jokes

with their smiles with snaggle teeth and hearts full to burst with ability
to love
to grow
to develop all genetics passed down to them


now too big to be so small
too tall to crawl into lap
too heavy to tackle

associates
bachelors
masters
doctorate


tiny broken full heart
your full mexican american heart to love
to heal now that lost simplicity of childhood
sensitive to small
too quick to figure out
not willing to conform to now any mold
now too bold
these to comfort
not papers to type
not goals to achieve
loans to pay
dorms in which to stay
now piles of bills to pay
every day
my treasure now hidden in four small beating hearts

and that is enough
yes
that is enough

Try it, you'll like it

Ballet princess
New experience
Trying out the exotic in the safety of the ghetto
Community center

Paper thin, transparent even, tiny frizzy haired damaged goods

Take a spot to line up, dear ones.

Timid teeny tiny steps to the line
Amid teeny tiny dancers more experienced by time

Not there! This is my spot. Move!

Now crumble
Now cry the ugly cry
The walls have been breeched, and tiny one begs escape
To the false maternal arms
Those weapons in disguise
Run away tiny broken
Put ballet away
Don't look back