Anthology

Mi Morena

Mathew Smith

It’s funny how we tell time
Tick, tock, tick, tock
There goes the clock
There goes my life without a thought
Not anymore
Time has meaning now
It means a whole lot more than
Horas, Minutos, Segundos
It means
Mi Morena
Mi Vida

My Redemption

It was so long ago
but I can still remember the day
the day fire illuminated the air
rain came first
it was the harbinger
quick rain, hard rain
over and done
not a drop to quench the fire

It was a good place, los ejidos
A fertile land
They grew maize and children
Tall and fruitful
Strong and beautiful
It had been their land for generations
but we had to take it from them
times had changed
NAFTA had brought gringo money
And I was just a soldier with no mind of my own

The air was hot and sticky from the sudden rain
I could feel the tension and dread in the air
We were the enemy
We were monsters
but what was I to do
I was just a soldier with no mind of my own

El Capitan talked with the old man
Old man was scared; I could see the horror on his
face
He talked crazy
He talked loud
He would not leave

Then it happened
Everything changed
It was fate
Or maybe luck
Either way nothing would be the same

Sangre
Warm and sticky
Sangre del Viejo en mi cara
It dripped down my face
I couldn’t move
It held me in place
Could not move
Only see
I saw the terror in their eyes as they ran
I saw them sink away as they died
and I saw her

Mi Morena
Mi Vida

The men fired from where they stood, but El
Capitan
He moved toward her
She cradled the old man in her arms
He drew the big revolver and took aim
She screamed no

That’s when the rage over took me
I shot him in the back as I heard him cock the gun
He didn’t die, he turned to me
Porque?
I shot him in the head
He had started the slaughter,
I would try to end it

I turned to her and looked her in the eyes
Dark deep beautiful eyes,
but full of shock and sorrow
When we looked into each other’s eyes,
time seemed to stand still
I wanted to speak
To say anything
But no words would come
There were no words, I suppose

The embrace of our eyes was broken
The roar of the grenades made me stumble
I picked my self up and grabbed her hand
Then we ran

They had seen my deed
Why they did not kill me on the spot
I will never know

We never returned
There was no requiem
Our tears were the only tribute
But that is my only regret

When I gaze at her as she sleeps next to me
I know that I made the right choice,
because it was my choice
I live for her
I fight for her

Mi Vida
Mi Morena