20 years

In the beginning

A young woman – viente-four

A  younger man – pollito – veinte dos

No prefrontal cortex

Combination of “I know you are safe for me” and

“You are hot” and

“Want to get away with you from here, but don’t totally know what I am escaping.”

Maybe we had it right, just maybe it is right.

I cannot say for you, it’s todo igual,

similar,

te apuesto.

Lots of tears, memory

Ancient fear, our love near – yeah baby, we are right.

Your smile embedded in concrete soccer cancha me captura,

Ven aqui Daniela, Chapala, Tapalpa,

cilantro tacos –

tag-a-long dates

I long to sit, listen, you talk, I listen.

Dime Luis your detailed days then, now, stories of inches and burros, racistas, carpinteros borrachos y mal educados.

A fog morning November,

We wait for juntos para siempre

purity culture stole our July 6th anniversary

two anniversarios, tu y yo, dos times, remember?

no matter, two times per year, still can’t decide when is best

to remember your face and mine – nose to nose – making promises for

toda la vida – our lifetime

Te quiero, amor.

“Te quiero mi amor.”

surprised we both are

You there, Me, standing there, holding your hands.

Lasso-d us on the alter, you are so good to me.

Smooth skin, melting between us.

Dark brown,

Light olive

mixing

No dealbreakers,

Or icey tones, fought for this moment,

INS, borders, lawyers,

you, me, the judge, pastor, religious bigotry tambien.

bit by bit, screams, pushes, birthing babes, practicing survival, un accidente y compadre aye como te extrano.

Luca first.

Julie second.

Estela third.

Benjamin fourth.

Four on earth, to care for on earth

me eyeing you, fight fresh on my mind,

arguing over money, cars, repairs, food, costs of everything, actually.

This world takes mucho dinero, our bolsa vacias.

Dirt poor, and we got what we need

and yeah, we have four

it’s expensive, but we did our part, right, mi amor?

We did it just right, amor.

“I’m coming home, amor.”

God is just fine with us

we still love like we love, make love, which is our way to love

Tu – Luis, eres mi amor.

We left things

because well because.

There’s things we left,

In the past.

stayed behind al proposito

and others stayed here so we sobrevivir.

Oye Mexicano –

Don’t you give up.

Dear beloved,

moment I met you I knew

Safe as a safe

dangerous uncanny amor

far from here amor,

Please take me, amor.

We dancing to bone rhyms.

Somos los mismos -  lots of spice

It’s dark, now. We watch one another,

Breathe, make up, argue, laugh

pass through borders

Cultures argue for which lives count mas

You, my love,

Mi amor, I’ll be here

I’m sorry I let you down sometimes,

My country and place take dirty shots at your beautiful face.

Perdoname mi amor y yo

Tambien te perdono porque– tu eres el hombre que quiero.

You are perfecto for me because you aren’t perfect.

Mil gracias amor.

Your only,

Daniela