View From Within

Late night, maybe

looking out the window,

neighbors’ apartments, some

dark, some with lights on,

shapes behind curtains, 

Venetian blinds, someone

is arguing, someone is crying.

Jacarandas will bloom soon,

purple flowers on bushy trees

in January, who would have

thought? But always warm in

Tepoztlan, not like Minnesota,

the coldest place I’ve lived,

no more…no more. I’d rather 

die here warm and bored, but

it’s not boring, never was.,

twenty years and I don’t know

why…maybe the people are

real, down to earth, no b.s.,

and politeness is survival not

just a good idea…you can get

away with murder here, so 

you’d better be nice…people

know this, even the stray dogs

chill, part of the environment, 

not like gringos that stick out

in foreign countries because 

from the land of every person 

for themselves except wars if 

a politician convinces them it’s 

a good idea like the latest fad…

America is famous for its fads;

junk that people buy ‘cause 

others do, including favorite 

t.v. shows, home team sporting 

events, artificial happenings to

make people think they belong 

somewhere, not like here where 

all they have is soccer and fiestas

because they like to be together,

one big happy family, although 

of course some of them like to

fight, but only kill if necessary.

Meanwhile mostly poor so have

to toe the line for whomever 

gives them money, no guarantee,

it could break as soon as bill is

paid, no guilt, no remorse, no

recourse, besides it’s the best

usually they can do, but plenty

of music, mariachi, mezcal 

cerveza for joy and fugget

about it, can’t rise too high,

not that far to fall, they give 

up when they start a job so

as to not waste time when 

it’s over. The ladies many 

times have kids when in

their teens and if the father

splits the child is folded into

the family why not, it’s only 

fair…the beat goes on people 

are born and die without the

possibility of face on a bubble 

gum card or postage stamp

though one man painted my

portrait but he was from Chicago.