"tortillas" poems
no weapons, no drugs.
he had the eyeballs of an aztlan prince.
touches water.
touches hot-grill to meat /repeat/
/replete with cerveza.
to roil in love of sun said lights, all things lovely.
to return by city driven lights, lake to shore to shoulder.
[to sleep.]
[to dream.]
dad is on the grill, cookin’ up something scorched.
swill is on the lake, skiin’ up something else.
sweat &
stretching lungs, the sun busting gut.
unseen, bikini pink
& green sauce.
pass the tortillas.
winterous: awake.
ice-fish and stoke the pipes of flash and holy hash.
ice-fish our favorite frozen mass.
we all grow beards,
untrusting of men who wobble blades to their faces on the daily.
spring sprung and spigot. we
return to blushing shores of wet rocks
& girlfriends.
girl bands exploding amps from atop houseboats
in styles of the highly drunk and tameless.
plucked in memory
of the ******* to come before them.
Nov 21, 2014
Nov 21, 2014 at 7:31 PM UTC
They call me Ghetto.
They call me
gunfights and drive-bys,
pregnant teens.
They call me Poverty,
and concrete winter walls
splashed with blood-red
graffiti.
They call me
junior-high druggies
and gang-banging muchachos.
They call me Mexico
like it’s a ***** word.
They call me Ghetto.
But haven’t they seen through
the white-washed walls
of the
“American Dream”?
Don’t they know hurt
and suffering,
imperfections
and neglect,
as well?
So call me Mexico;
call me Poverty;
call me Ghetto.
I am
run-down yards
filled with laughing brown children,
small apartments
bursting with the scent
of tamales,
mingled with joy and the chatter of relatives.
I am home-made tortillas
at Thanksgiving
and wrinkled hands pounding masa
at Christmas.
I am friendly smiles
and shouted jokes
followed by roaring
laughter.
I am the lilting syllables
of a beautiful
culture.
I am comfort.
They call me Ghetto
and so I am.
Sep 8, 2014
Sep 8, 2014 at 10:44 PM UTC
The rooster sings to the sun,
answering the call is the light that embraces all.
All at once the birds sing their own song.
Awaken by mother's sweet voice.
"It's time to go" she says.
She hands me a green cubeta con maiz.
The corn's color is purple and white instantly
I fall in love with its kind
The cold blue morning gives me chills.
I carry the bucket to my grandmother's house.
With her mandil and her braided hair,
she sits by the comal making tortillas.
"Good morning abueltia" with a smile on my face.
"Good morning m'ija" she replies.
I keep walking carrying the heavy bucket.
A small room next to a store crowded with senoras.
Their rebozos around their heads and arms and buckets in hand.
I feel so small so young but inside I'm proud.
I wait in line as I greet and make small talk.
These ladies have the nicest smiles.
My turn, I grab my cubeta and proceed to the molino.
My arms are too little.
A lady approaches and helps me load the molino.
I watch in awe as the grains turn in masa.
I bend down and collect it.
"En una bolita" the lady tells me to shape it.
I nod and continue to make it.
Gray like the color of my grandma's hair.
soft like my mother's hand.
I fill the bucket with the masa.
I thank las senoras and head back to mi casa.
I hand the bucket to my mom who was milking la vaca.
She starts the comal and gets the cal.
Her hands slapping the masa like she was clapping.
Perfect big round warm tortillas.
I was a little girl that helped her make them.
A little girl that still remembers.
Apr 17, 2015
Apr 17, 2015 at 5:24 AM UTC
The first enchilada was created in the summer of 1968
In a small house near Seal Beach
In Southern California.
The house was owned by a friend of my dad's
Or my mom's
And we had gone over for dinner
I was eight
I would like to say that it was a cool beach pad
With wood paneling, all the rage back then
And an Eames recliner in the corner of the living room
I only remember the paneling
but since I am writing this
The Eames piece stays
We had gone for dinner
And the owner of the house had made enchiladas
Beef ones as I recall with sauce from a series of Old El Paso cans
I can still smell and taste them
They were the first world food I had ever had
Besides canned Chinese food from the supermarket which doesn't count
And because I loved them with their ground beef and sauce
Their hot oil softened corn tortillas, sour cream, cheese and green onion
And little tiny bits of black olive
They became the prison guards
Throwing open the gates of my suburban Connecticut upbringing
Letting me leave the confines and walk freely in the sunshine for the first time
They were followed by many other firsts
Sushi, Crepes, haggis, tiki masala and sea urchin to name a few
All of which owe their very existence in my life
To that first enchilada.
Aug 7, 2012
Aug 7, 2012 at 7:29 AM UTC
~
***TRAVEL TIME TROPICS TRIP TOURIST TOWN TUNNEL TOLL TICKET TAKER
TAXI TOKEN TRANSIT TRAIL TRANSPORT TRUCK TRACTOR TRAILER
TRAIN TRACK TROUBLE TEST TERROR TRAP TRIBAL TURF
THINK TALK TRY TRANSLATE TONGUE TIED
TEMPER TAMPER TIMEBOMB TICKING TRINKET TRADE
TARIFF TERMS TWINKLE TAX TREASURE TOTAL THEFT TAKEN
TWISTING THROBING THIRSTY THROAT TECATE TAVERN TWO TEQUILA
TRES TACOS TASTY TORTILLAS TEN TEQUILA TABLE TAB TIP TINA
TAWDRY TROLLUP TATTOO TABOO TOE TAP TICKLE TEASE
TERRIBLE TUNES TENOR TONES TRUMPETING TROUBADOURS
TWENTY TEENS TICK TOCK TARDY TIME TIRESOME TESTIMONY
TOTALLY TRANSGRESSED
TUMULTUOUS TRAVELER***
Jan 1, 2014
Jan 1, 2014 at 5:25 PM UTC
*Peanuts, water, healthy snacks.
Frosted flakes, ******* jacks.
Eggs and ham, sausage links.
Tortillas, energy drinks.
Triple chocolate bundt cakes,
Little MiOs, Gatorades.
Cupcakes, twinkies, and pop tarts.
Lots of shopping, I should start.
Buuuut I won't. Cuz I'm lazy.*
Mar 12, 2012
Mar 12, 2012 at 11:54 PM UTC
I get home.
tired and hungry and so sick of school
shoulders slouch with comfort, crossing the threshold
between the public and my home.
It's snack time.
open the fridge and what do I find?
what marvelous things, upon which to dine?
a leg of chicken and a big *** of beans,
say what you will, moms can be queens
I chop up an onion splash! in the pan
a dollop of oil [extra ****** man]
add half a pepper, minus its seeds
yum! I think I know what this needs
A large pinch of cumin, a whole chicken leg
and so many beans, if beer twould be keg
then add some turmeric for fusion and flair
splash of red wine, kids: we're almost there!
I check in the freezer and Yes! I was right!
almost a dozen tortillas in sight.
I take out two, cuz they're pretty big
I yodel with pleasure, as if at a shindig
warm up the flatbreadz, and pile it on
all of that chicken and beans and herbs from the lawn
get in my tummy, get in there so fast
that I dont realize I'm eating until I'm holding the last.
Jan 6, 2011
Jan 6, 2011 at 8:23 PM UTC
The Hispanic breeds are being scared off lately,
They don’t speak much English,
I don’t speak much Spanish,
But I remember when I was a little boy,
White boy in a brown body,
Nestled in a blanket in a slum apartment,
Surrounded by grizzly, Mexican men,
All with breath of stale beer,
They’re faded blue like their work shirts,
And I was young and golden,
They were all my friends,
The air, oily with the smell of fried tortillas,
My own eyes wide,
My hair long, over my ears,
A worn, mongrel, Mexican boy.
Nov 8, 2014
Nov 8, 2014 at 2:06 AM UTC
today we visit graveyards
turning over the wormy soil
to uncover the exquisite corpse
though we were told to
let the dead bury the dead
on this day we unbury
the dearly departed
relishing transcendent
embraces and cool
cervezas with jolly
amigos and la
familia who have
gone on before
we wrap ourselves
in graveblankets
to complete warm
circles of love
embracing our
beloved companeros;
gleaning netherworld
heavenly rest wisdom,
sharing the laughter
of trite earthly concerns
we’ll roll speckled tortillas
on smooth tombstone mesas
to feast on Mariachi tacos
brimming with spicy queso,
chased with another cool sip
waltzing with the holy bones
to the candle lit reveries
of this evenings
flowing melodies
Mercedes Sosa & Joan Baez
Gracias a la Vida
Dia De Muertos
Diego Rivera
Oakland
11/1/13
jbm
Nov 1, 2013
Nov 1, 2013 at 2:22 AM UTC
when i saw you hovering there
some little
brown thing
i thought of my nails
scraping across pink flesh
the amassing of skin under
their beds
know this
had I been born from some kind of egg
hatched as a larvae
thirsty for blood meal
the weight of the tortillas
might not have felt
so light in my hand
as I brought them to you
speed like colors
against a cabinet door
Sep 27, 2010
Sep 27, 2010 at 8:21 PM UTC
I blot the sun out with my thumb,
don't want to burn my eyes;
it's hot enough to fry an egg,
someday, by god, I'll try.
I'll place it on my car's hood,
in the middle of July,
in desert heat outside of town,
I will let it fry.
I'll take a magnifying glass,
in the case that it need be;
and my widest brimmed hat,
so the sun will not scorch me.
I'll take along some pinto beans,
huevos rancheros of a sort;
on corn tortillas with red sauce,
if it's good, I'll take snort.
A Mexican fiesta dish,
with jalapenos too;
then I will burn my mouth,
before my meal is through.
Aug 14, 2014
Aug 14, 2014 at 5:02 PM UTC
quiero escribirte mil gordas,
gordas formadas en líneas,
gordas tiradas en el pasto,
gordas con sus lonjas libres y sin fajas ni pantalones dos tallas menos que asfixien los tejidos de mi piel:
quiero cantarte una gorda canción.
gordas pinches gordas,
gordo el culo gordo el corazón,
gordas las piernas y los muslos,
las caderas.... tentación.
gordas !gordas son las anchas glorietas de la avenida gorda de la ciudad gorda donde todos los gordos y las gordas bailan un son que dice:
tu eres golosa golosa y glotona, tu eres golosa golosa y glotona,
pinche gorda poderosa
tu eres fuerte tu eres diosa
tus curvas son deliciosas
templo lavado con miel
para mi tu eres sagrada
dulce, fuerte y cotizada
gorda tu eres toda gorda,
vos sos toda gorda,
amante gorda,
gorda estudiante,
gorda madre,
gorda hija,
gorda espíritu santa.
¡bienvenidos a gordaztlan!
donde mandamos las gordas
y nuestro proceso de colonización conlleva amar nuestras lonjas,
nuestra panza, nuestras chichotas.
¡donde nada es imperfecto!
ni el lunar bajo del labio,
ni los pelos de la panocha.
¡pasen pasen! por las anchas puertas de nuestro gordo destino,
dicen que la vida es flaca
pero gordo es el camino,
en una mano el elote
en la otra mano el pepino,
con tortillas, chile gordo,
gordolagas con tocino.
¡gorda! ¡gorda!
sube tallas
¡y ven a bailar conmigo!
Jan 20, 2014
Jan 20, 2014 at 6:12 AM UTC
Yes I saw the truth in the hillside freeway
In the grilled cheese sandwich
for sale on Ebay
With tortillas and butter they called me a ******
Because I saw the truth in the eyes of another
Who decided to feed me a line of such rapture
That captured my stature of pragmatic backed banter
Gathered the trappings disbanded, I could map out the standard
Wanting the pattern, the vibrancy frequented
Masking the latency, the reader obsequious
Addressing the nuance, ignoring complacency
Significance amplified, convinced of this elevated
Power to axiom, entropy celebrated
Wax to a fault with a message converted
While the layers of encryption serve to hold this position
A raw disposition, hoping to see beyond this decision
I can't see beyond the scope of the eye with conviction.
Jun 3, 2014
Jun 3, 2014 at 5:35 AM UTC
have i become so dependent
that i cling to the microfibers that form in your dryer
and stick on your sweater
because for six months
seven months ago
i tasted italy and salvador
and corn tortillas
and teeth
and missed ***** mexico
and for three weeks
about two months ago
i spun around the washing machine
until my fibers were stuck and someone detached me
and i lay there soppy
and i lay there wet
and i blame the machine
its sheer power and ability to wipe clean the stains of engine oil and uv blue you drank in the garage
and i have lost dependency
because of its lack of sustainability
i miss my baby
all my babies
every baby
and if you need me
ill be collecting the microfibers
that form in your dryer
and stick on your sweater
Feb 5, 2014
Feb 5, 2014 at 8:40 AM UTC
Coming home from the mass,
body stretches became endless
no hurried showers were done
some returned to bed, everything
was on a slow pace....but then,
kitchen aromas roused sluggish senses,
revealed garlic and onion sauteing,
beef stewing, stuffed fish grilling,
even the smell of parched soil, being
sprinkled with water...became fragrant...
all rushed to the table...for lunch...
..............................................
dessert, was a choice...nothing...or,
slices of pie..fresh strawberries dipped
in condensed milk...peanuts, sour
chips, or salty tortillas, with salsa,
all these, over loud talks...whispers,
wholesome family conversations,
where endings are ever unpredictable
...............................................
each Sunday carries a different mood
...with cups of tea, or coffee, when
discussions are serious, long, hushed...
most times, they're a tall glass of sundae,
with shaved ice, sago, sweetened yam,
or, beans, milk, and sugar........
decisions made, and agreed upon
are the multi colored toppings,
pretty much like syrup.....or ice cream...
...................................................
seven days.....with different names...
each family member brings in a new shade
we do our best, to start, and end each day
................with pleasant airs
.................especially on Sundays,
......when families gather together...
..................................................
Sally
Copyright March 26, 2017
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
Mar 27, 2017
Mar 27, 2017 at 9:02 PM UTC
eat your tortillas silly noodle
today we are poor
money falls
like rings lost in sonic
the most aggravating noise
eat your tortillas silly noodle
your mom can be so
irresponsible
Jan 6, 2015
Jan 6, 2015 at 10:21 AM UTC
I don’t need to be saved.
I can save myself,
I do it every day.
It is essential that I leave
The wanderlust is fogging up my eyes
and I’m starting to see the cloud that hangs around this town
It’s not the town, I love these mountains
It’s what four walls can hold when hearts escape
Occasional hikes aren’t working
I can’t be motivated by weekend parties
I demand nothing less than wildness
Simplicity, and my home back
I hope you never feel the heartache of losing your home
It was ripped away too soon, when I finally found where I belong
I was taken back to pristine houses that can’t hold dust
When I used to have a cabin that wore its dirt like a diamond necklace
Home will always be you.
Where ice was a friend whose crunches carried under my boots walking to breakfast
When there was nothing better than mashed potatoes we stuffed in tortillas and called tacos
My heart aches to hear bird songs again.
I would give every penny I have to live like that.
Dec 28, 2012
Dec 28, 2012 at 2:09 AM UTC
I grab a cart handle and smirk, I have a cold this time
One less thing to worry about.
The wheel squeaks and pulls.
One more thing to worry about.
Shooters of wine greet and then mock
At my lack of age.
I turn down ails like
The pages of a well worn book
A no longer interesting text
On how to troubleshoot Windows 95.
Pages filled of colors and high fructose corn sugar
White bread and corn tortillas.
Clothing. Seems already dropping from the hangers.
Workers. No longer holding their heads up.
But wander the ails as I do.
I see the look of a job
Sat on too long and has staled
I see milk.
Organic milk.
And yogurt nearby.
Hot pockets.
Organic hot pockets.
Organic chips.
Bacon ranch organic chips.
It is all in the branding.
Less heat and more thought control is needed
For the American public than the average feed lot stock.
At last what I need is found.
And I can leave before I drown
In over-consumption .
Then back into the cold of February.
And into my van.
I cut someone off as I sped away.
Apr 5, 2013
Apr 5, 2013 at 10:12 PM UTC
Television cooks rarely do
Fish, chips and mushy peas
With spotted **** for afters.
No
It’s got to be
Creamy coconut curry
With Balingud Zalud
Soaked in Chimichurri sauce.
Or Jalapena Lime Slaw
Accompanied by spicy Sriracia mayo
And Rachero Sauce.
Plus a side-dish of fluffy soufflés.
The starter is a vibrant veggy ratatouille
With sashimi, tacos and tortillas.
But then there’s always vemuelli noodles,
Pommes frittes
Teriyehi
Thana messala
And Enchilada Casserole
Covered in Romesco Sauce
Or Hollandaise
With Falafels and couscous.
Then Neapolitan Ice Cream souffled Erotica.
All impossible of course.
But don’t we love
The sheer seduction of those Words.
Paul Butters
© PB 28\4\2020.
Apr 28, 2020
Apr 28, 2020 at 7:25 AM UTC
(Memories of a Far Away Land)
I miss the mornings when I could listen to the roosters that loudly crowed.
Open the window to the scent of fresh tortillas, from the abarrotes it flowed.
Everyday I would wake engulfed by mountains and their fresh fresh air.
Alonzo's voice carrying loudly, "Empanadas, Empanadas, get them here."
Daily cruises through the streets of Juarez Mexico I often will reminisce,
Ending up in Downtown Centro to buy whatever, it was anyone's guess.
I miss going to the little grocers to buy, mandarins, avocado and mango,
The long waits in line on the Bridges of America trying to cross to El Paso.
Bathing in metal tubs, washing clothes by washboard with your bare hands,
I'll forever keep the precious memories safely in my heart, of a far away land.
Lopez ©reationz 2014
Jun 14, 2014
Jun 14, 2014 at 10:57 PM UTC
Tortillas and a little cheese
can I have some meat too please?
some have pork and some have fish
tacos are a favorite dish
guacamole and some chips
lots of little spicy dips
margaritas if you dare
some so big you have to share
it's Tuesday so it's taco time
and that is why I made this rhyme
Dec 17, 2019
Dec 17, 2019 at 10:20 PM UTC
late october,
today my heart is wandering,
I still listen to your music.
things I like fall in my lap and I pick up the phone to tell you,
someone I can hide behind
maybe I just like warm waists and strong arms
maybe I like feeling small,
I met this boy today, love,
he reminds me of home, of fresh tortillas wrapped in tinfoil
he reminds me of this summer, and of you.
he doesn't like the things we liked,
but he's a different fabric
and I am patching this idea that
we never stop loving anyone
Nov 25, 2012
Nov 25, 2012 at 6:19 AM UTC
As I walk up those chipped, wooden steps,
The smell of authenticity fills my nostrils.
Salivation onsets, like a tidal wave.
My stomach groans, as if possessed.
I enter their Kingdom, nestled humbly atop Apartment A.
The Queen, front and center of stove,
As her loyal princesses scurry like mice
Trying to help fellow colony members.
But true tradition doesn't need help;
What's necessary is the amount of time required
To perform such tasty feats of grandeur.
So, like every meal before,
Grandma has squeezed dry the fruit of tradition.
My dish, staring me down as I await
My fellow colony members to be seated.
As if it were both my first and last meal in the world,
I quickly begin to fill the caverns of my stomach.
With an abundance of tortillas and menudo,
There's no time in between bites to acknowledge
The cousins sitting at both of my shoulders.
Our roots run deep; still waters have nothing.
Feb 7, 2013
Feb 7, 2013 at 6:45 PM UTC
let's leave the country without telling a soul,
let's get a house on the sand with a balcony facing the ocean waves,
let's live off of local fruits and tortillas
let's play a vinyl at night while we dance drunk around the fire,
with our record player and its huge bronze speaker coming out the top,
jumpy prison blues or old movie lines that play with a nostalgic static
let's build a blanket fort with a million sheets
watch our favorite old films off the wall in a psychedelic haze
let's binge on ice cream and oreos and let our inner fat child run free
let's have hot ******* shower ***
when we come down we pass out with the bottle of riesling between us
it almost empty, except for the small ring that neither of us could finish
let's wear nothing but robes and never have to leave our palace
let's get naked and roll around in paint, creating a heartfelt masterpiece
let's wake up to an amazing cup of coffee that gets better and better
just like our ***
let's never let anyone know about our little escape from the world and our grown-up fairytails come true.
Jul 16, 2015
Jul 16, 2015 at 10:35 PM UTC
Her stomach grumbles
There's food in the fridge but
Nothing to her preference
He walks around, filling his belly with all that he finds
Coffee, milk, water, potatoe chips and crackers
Warmed up tortillas and cereal
They will make it through the week,
They always have
Sep 2, 2013
Sep 2, 2013 at 12:59 AM UTC