Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Projects
By Samaris Ayala


Don't weep mommy
Scattered gardens give
birth to sweet
sensations
Among the monsters (projects)
We had a father
He was called Loisada
A pueblo, He gave
birth to other offspring
Don't weep mommy
There were some
Americans
called hippies
They helped us
Remember mommy
when
Poppy called me a hippie
Ever since I was a baby
He didn't like hippies
No more beatings
junkies
or fires
Poppy knew I was a hippie
But my father loisada
Loisada helped
When we traded our
farms for factories
Yet we kept the faith
And the church
integrated us
Our musicians sang
songs
To our ancestor gods
For this reason
mommy
We no longer have
ghettos
We have barrios
Don't weep mommy
We are a pueblo
Because they helped

NYC-based Samaris Ayala contributes her poetry to Puerto Rico Sun. She may be reached at sallypatches@yahoo.com.

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