Читать книгу Voices on the Corner - Harold J. Recinos - Страница 9

The Water

when the city was

new to me faces

smiled on all the

corners, the fire

hydrants in summer

opened, kids undid

cans at each end

for water games,

skinny old men ran

through puddles, bag

carrying abuelas laughed

in rainbow vapors, wet

kids ran to bodegas

with nickels in hand

for five cookies, records

played loud music

on Saturday, domino

games were unending,

girls jumped roped,

the church bells kept

time, nights were not

wounded by fear, we

believed, loved, lived,

with such risa, and there

were no strangers.