Boricua for Sale

[Alberto O. Cappas]

Finding the colony

in the metropolis of Albany

discovering

naked mind dressed in style with a red tie

bypassing the mourning of those who went

and those that were blown away.

 

Stonewalls and Rockefeller

signs of things kept public to keep

it from becoming public.

 

Manolo is polite

He does not wear polyester suites

stays away from rice and beans

drinking martinis

speaking English

without broken-down clues.

 

Manolo sings in the cold winter

and all the politicians

buy a ticket to his annual fund-raiser.

 

Manolo is happy to have a godfather dancing by his side.

 

He comes back home proudly proclaiming:

Wow, they noticed me!