Saludos to the Moon by Jose Hernandez diaz

[Zainikay]

Sometimes I wish my Spanish were better,
Like to the point where I could speak it without
Having to think about it. I can get by, trust me,
But it’s broken. Like that trendy restaurant downtown:
Broken Spanish. It would be nice to write poems in Spanish
Or even a mix of both languages. But my instinct, it seems,
Is to lean on the language I have mastered. For now, at least,
I can throw in a word, here and there, like tesoro.
Language es un tesoro. The moon, tesoro. Leaves: tesoro.
My computer always marks Spanish words as misspelled.
I want to say, todo bien. Hasta la última palabra.
In my neighborhood or barrio, it is mostly Mexican or
Mexican-American. Five gangs in the neighborhood.
I’ve never had a problem. There are also many hardworking,
Blue-collar factory workers. No pretention. Grit. Muchas ganas.
Many have served or serve in the military, and even though
I’m very liberal, I don’t judge them because honestly,
If I hadn’t found writing in high school, I probably
Would’ve served, too, without many other options.
I never know how to end a poem, especially a poem
That I didn’t expect to write, but I will go back to some more
Spanish words: adiós. Adiós to the sun and the skyline,
Tonight. Saludos. Saludos to the moon with her accent so bright.

Feature Date
September 27, 2020