"FACINGFACES 2002 - 04" SELECTED POETRY

Dieciséis

I came to in a gutter,

feel the pain of my hips barely moving,

vergüenza between my legs.



La policia me dice, “What happened, chica?”

He’s an older man, very official;

His moustache shone in the distant light.



-*-*-*-*-



I was on Avenida Dieciséis,

Waking really

from a crowded dream.



The cars rushed towards el puente

or home for the madrugada.

The bars had closed

Vertigo, Ajua…todos.



I was walking a mi casa—sola

No tenia dinero para el taxi

No tenia amigos en mi vida



Mi novio se fué

with someone else.

With friends, he said. Amables.

¡Mentiroso! Todos estan borrachos, or

With that pinche cabrona

with long black hair,

who was winking at him, at

his big, gold chain as

he held me coldly while

slurping his michelada.



A las dos in the morning

La hora de los sueños

Sweet dreams of togetherness

con mi amorcito…



I was walking alone on dieciséis

As a short, dark man

threw me into the gutter.

Why?



Amit K. Ghosh
INDIA - USA
copyright 2002

Amit Ghosh is the co-publisher/ co-editor of
bordersenses,
a community-based literary magazine based in El Paso, TX