Hacia Roma caminan
dos pelegrinos,
a que los case el Papa,
mamita,
porque son primos,
niña bonita,
porque son primos,
niña.
Sombrerito de hule
lleva el mozuelo,
y la peregrinita,
mamita,
de terciopelo,
niña bonita,
de terciopelo,
niña.
Al pasar por el puente
de la Victoria,
tropezó la madrina,
mamita,
cayó la novia,
niña bonita,
cayó la novia,
niña.
Han llegado a Palacio,
suben arriba,
y en la sala del Papa
mamita,
los desaniman,
niña bonita,
los desaniman,
niña.
Les ha preguntado el Papa
cómo se llaman.
El le dice que Pedro
mamita,
y ella que Ana,
niña bonita,
y ella que Ana,
niña.
Le ha preguntado el Papa
que qué edad tienen.
Ella dice que quince,
mamita,
y él diecisiete,
niña bonita,
y él diecisiete,
niña.
Le ha preguntado el Papa
de dónde eran.
Ella dice de Cabra,
mamita,
y él de Antequera,
niña bonita,
y él de Antequera,
niña.
Le ha preguntado el Papa
que si han pecado.
El le dice que un beso,
mamita,
que le había dado,
niña bonita,
que le había dado,
niña.
Y la peregrinita,
que es vergonzosa,
se le ha puesto la cara,
mamita,
como una rosa,
niña bonita,
como una rosa,
niña.
Y ha respondido el Papa
desde su cuarto:
¡Quién fuera pelegrino,
mamita,
para otro tanto,
niña bonita,
para otro tanto,
niña!
Las campanas de Roma
ya repicaron
porque los pelegrinos,
mamita,
ya se casaron,
niña bonita,
ya se casaron,
niña.

It's only been a few days
But the hurt of losing you hasn't gone away
And no matter what I do,
I always end up thinking of you.
I want to call you and hear the sound of your voice
But the realization that I can't fills me like a blank void.
I wish I can see you one last time to tell you that I love you and know that you're fine,
To see your warm smile again,
And to hold my hand like you did when I was a child back then
But knowing that I can't makes my heart cry,
I never knew it would be this hard to say goodbye.
Or to miss someone you know you'd never see again.
And never did I know pain the way I have these past days,
Since you left that cold night of Tuesday.
I miss you so much I can't believe you're no longer here
But I know you're finally resting after living 98 amazing years
And I know one day I'll be with you again
To tell you many stories and how life has been
But until then I'll hold on to the memories I have with you
And share every one of them whenever I tell someone about you,
You'll always be with me in my heart
Even if you have part
I'll see you again one day soon
Until then know I'll always miss you, mamita.
And I love you.

The love that assures.
The arms that are ready to hold.
The love that reassures.
The love of a mother.

No me diga – la nena ‘ta pregnant again?
(I thought she decided no more after Tito…)
she’s almost 16 – and she dropped out of school.
(It might be the spice in abuela’s sofrito…)

There’s one in the oven and two in the stroller
Oh nubile Boricua, what gives – ¿Qué sería?
if life is the masa and birth is the bakery
yours is a virtual panadería…

Some pulse in your short-shorts, those flexible hips
under tropical rhythm of lewd reggaeton
seems to summon the ***** from your lover’s abundance
whenever you find yourselves home and alone.

Where’s your man? Who’s the daddy? Why didn’t he stay?
your gaze is unsettling, harshly pathetic.
You sad Betty-Boop: are you waiting in vain
for your man – or your period?  How unpoetic…

This life lived on welfare, entitled, enslaved
with your babies at grandma’s and you with your phone
is a taxpayer’s nightmare and teenage recurrence
(but you’re busy texting some drama unknown…)

Mamita herself looks more like your hermana
She started this game even earlier, too
When you stand, side by side, in your thongs and pijama
it’s hard to be sure who is who.

Abuela's eyes taught me so much,
She didn't have to say much just look at me.
She would often tell me tales that one day sounded like fantasy
and eventually turned into reality.
I froze at the age that many started to walk.

To unlearn what I once learned even if to others I was a "misfit".
Did not expect me to become the norm or what the entire world once predicted.

Her eyes were a piece of heaven that are no longer on earth.

Many knew her for her kind gestures but I knew her for her secret.
She felt like she could give to everyone and never noticed what I noticed most, her eyes.
so simple yet so mystic.

I lay awake in bed holding my breath
grippin the sheets feeling close to death
Dreamin a world without you will have me feeling helpless and worthless less of a human being.

You make me better
I wish I known you sooner, I woulda never had let you get hurt,
having ya feelings growin in dirt,
like other losers.
on my knees tellin beggers cant be choosers,
on my knees with a promise ring tellin at least my love wont bruise ya.

Cause people took you for granted,
but no longer will you need a fistt,
all will you need is your lips cause ima have your hand in something to be,
future maybe?? Have another baby?
its crazy but thats life, when you pushin up daisy.

Mamita im lazy,
but my heart is not, it stands on two feet while holding its own just like you baby, it wants you as its crown.
So you can be held on top.
On top of my world and on my mind,
cause thats where you are in reality almost all the time.

Pardon my feelings that grow ahead of time, pass the ceilin thats just life on a heart monitor,
always on a thin line, cause you take  my breath away , barly breathin.

So dont mind my-
my sweet Dear, i only fear for for my heart to be taken or mistaken for something its not so I reveal my soul to you, cause thats all i got,
you on my mind alot and i think?
see I cant stop!
I dont know why? Ima hot head , with you in my mind im hot
in the skys like a star that been shot,
and the heat is commin,the hots for you have me burnin,

and im alil concernin i hope im not being played cause then  from this will, you defeat its purpose, and ima be back at square one again,
feeling worthless,
i open my self ahead of time,
so i pull open the close curtains so,
you can see thru my eyes in time you will know for certain,
that i am the realist! but i am not all perfect,
im just ahead of the curve like script cursive.

By: Emmmanuel jv Hernandez
7/6/13

Coño...mire mire mire a esa jeba..oye mamita ven a mi bohio esta noche que te voy a sancochear y comermela toda.

I always wondered the concept of existence.
Mamita made sure to show me.
I watched her get ready in her orange suits while everyone yelled “chocho” making sure she was seen.
I smiled swirling my dress yearning to be as fabulous like her.
Existing to her was obvious.
She took me in and that was enough to know I belonged to the family.
I still question why she chose me but wasn’t I lucky?
Existing in her eyes as family.