My Home Land Insecurity shifting eyes

Spanglish version (original) tight lips

¿qué piensan?
“La perrera.
la vi dar la vuelta ¿qué si hubiera sido yo?
en la esquina i imagine the man sitting
Ayyh next to the man in the sombrero say
la vi but I have no idea
pense decirle how this makes YOU feel,
Ayyh, pobre muchacho i wanted to say to those
se subio en la parada faces, as they got off
donde yo me subí the bus
Ayhayayh one by one
yo… yo tampoco tengo on their way to their chamba—
¡qué susto! “es que,
pobre muchacho” no hay de otra”

“What a way and the señora who

to get a seat” expressed my unspoken
and another passenger sat, ache for the poor kid
where the scurried from the bus.
pobre muchacho had been, dos señoras follow
as soon as la migra “Ayayayh.
took him llegamos.
apuren.”
the man wearing
the white sombrero with “I didn’t see
the red cord said nothing that one coming”
tampoco el que se sentaba junto a el, the bus driver had stated
tampoco yo dije neither had I
nada except
I opened my notebook i wanted to scream
commiting to record each word
for YOUR consideration but, if anyone asks,
this happened:
i looked to “tiene pa-pay-les?”
those anonymous, “no. no tengo papeles.”
yet familiar faces la migra took the muchacho
of the 6:30 am bus he didn’t have any papeles
scouting their expressions, as i wrote the bus pulled away
searching for emotion Solamente eso.
or sympathy
or a trace of empathy for my antipathy
Amy Manely Bonifaz
rogando por la respuesta
muted faces
Inseguridad ojos inquietos
en Español labios apretados
¿qué piensan?
“La perrera.
la vi dar la vuelta ¿qué si hubiera sido yo?
en la esquina Imagino que dice que el hombre
Ayyh sentado al costado del primero
la vi Pero no tengo la menor idea
pense decirle como te sientes TU,
Ayyh, pobre muchacho quería decirles a esas
se subio en la parada caras, al verlas bajar
donde yo me subí del autobus
Ayhayayh una por una
yo… yo tampoco tengo en camino a su chamba—
!qué susto! “es que,
pobre muchacho” no hay de otra”

“qué manera y la señora quien

de conseguir asiento” expresó mi dolor
y otro pasajero se sentó, por el pobre muchacho
donde el se escapó de prisa del autobús
pobre muchacho había estado, dos señoras la siguen
tan pronto como la migra “Ayayayh.
se lo llevó llegamos.
apuren.”
el hombre de
sombrero blanco “Eso no me
con cordon rojo dijo nada lo esperaba”
tampoco el que se sentaba junto a el, el conductor del autobus había dicho.
tampoco yo dije tampoco yo
nada con la única diferencía
abrí mi cuaderno que yo quize gritar
jurando anotar cada palabra
para TU consideración pero si alguien pregunta,
esto sucedió:
mire a “tiene pa-pey-les?”
esas caras anónimas, “no. no tengo papeles.”
pero conocidas la migra se llevó al muchacho
del autobus de las 6:30 am no tenía papeles
explorando sus expresiones, y el camión se fue
mientras escribía Solamente eso.
buscando por conmoción
o compasión
o por indentificación con la situación Amy Manely Bonifaz
rogando por la respuesta
caras silencias
My Home Land Insecurity shifting eyes
in English Only tight lips
¿what’s on their mind?
“The border patrol.
i saw it turn ¿what if it would have been me?
at the corner i imagine the man sitting
Ayyh next to the man in the hat say
I saw it but I have no idea
I thought I should tell him how this makes YOU feel,
Ayyh, poor kid i wanted to say to those
he got on at the faces, as they got off
same bus stop as me the bus
Ayhayayh one by one
i… i don’t have any either on their way to work—
i was so scared! “cuz,
poor kid” there’s no other way”

“What a way and the woman who

to get a seat” expressed my unspoken
and another passenger sat, ache for the poor kid
where the scurried from the bus.
por kid had been, two women follow
as soon as the border agent “Ayayayh.
took him we’re here.
hurry.”
the man wearing
the white hat with “I didn’t see
the red cord said nothing that one coming”
neither did the man next to him, the bus driver had stated
i said neither had i
nothing except
instead i opened my notebook i wanted to scream
commiting to record each word
for YOUR consideration but, if anyone asks,
this happened:
i looked to “do you have papers?”
those anonymous, “no. no I do not have papers.”
yet familiar faces border security took the guy
of the 6:30 am bus he didn’t have any papers
scouting their expressions, as i wrote the bus pulled away
searching for emotion That’s it.
or sympathy
or a trace of empathy for my antipathy
Amy Manely Bonifaz
begging for an answer
muted faces