Menos three months

Bigger skies
Familiar flora
Bonnets blowing blue
Heat to breathe, to chew, to wear
Chanclas on dirty feet
Bigger population
Familiar highways
Love smiling brown
Spanglish to immerse into
Remain into
Conform into
Roses remain
Solitary to maturity

Highland Duplex III

Had like a bedroom and a half
Little one got the back room to herself
Tiny screamer left to stay with mom's mom

Little one
Things piled high on the bed
deep within lay tiny guitar
Guitar like dad plays
Guitar like dad gave

Then mom fought with her friend
The pile was crushed
And tiny guitar
Gone
Gone
Gone

Highland Duplex II

Night time caught in the rain
Playing family
New guy
Mom's friend
Leaping from bus to curb to puddly grass
Glow in the dark necklaces
Souvenirs from Fiesta
Smiles on tired small faces
Kisses goodnight on cheeks

Smiles all gone
Beer cans overflow stained kitchen trash can
Fear keeps the lights switched off

Tiny nothing, what wakes you?

New guy
On
Top
Of
Mom

Fists
Pounding
Her
 face

Tiny nothing on his back
Exerting every ounce of strength to make him stop
Nothing works

Now police send him walking
T-shirt hung coolly over naked shoulder
It's stopped raining


Tiny nothing sitting on neighbors' couch
Every light on
Legs shake
Eyes stare
No blinking
Big people incoherently talk

Legs
Don't
Stop
Shaking