Alfred Arteaga, Cantos 3-4

Tercero. El viaje

El viaje

White, from white Mictlan, south,

to Xopan, to Tenochtitlan,

"Nosotros descendimos hasta

el río impasible, nosotros de piel

roja, buscando la señal: una isla

en las montañas, en las nubes

claras de águilas, la serpiente

despenñada, el nopal antípoda.

A una isla mixtitlan, a la isla mixtitlan,

dimos el nombre

Isla Xochitepec."

From Aztlán, the word made motion,

tentli, yollotl, yolotia,

to eagle, to snake, to cactus,

each black.

Old man, conquistador,

Bavieca, Tizón and Colada,

father of Coyote, Chamizo,

Sambaigo and Combujo,

father of Lobo, of Barquino,

of Mulato, father of Mestizo.

"From Europe's cold black waters

to Tepeyac, Flower of the Mountain,

where sad children shall kneel

before us. In the name of Our Lady

of the Thorns, we shall baptize a

Juan-Diego Oxomoco, a Marina Nightear,

baptize a María Castellano Cortés,

a Rodrigo Río-Bravo."

And west, dark

women and pearls. "Esplandián!

Plus Ultra, Esplandián!"

Old words made blood,

old words made

new.

Many mothers, a father who

loosed dogs one sad night,

feathers from the quetzal, a

bird who now coos in Spanish.

From the high plateau, from a

gulf town, across desert to one

river, half water, half metal. A

mesh of steel and spray, only

threaded by the mad. Railroads

to the madness, highways to the

cities of the mad, and a boat.

"J'ai rêvé le fleuve m'a laissé

descendre où je voulais." In

my dream, a woman approaches

the fence, she offers mezcal,

there is something

dead in the liquid, we

drink from the common bottle,

our skins are the same

color, in the darkness

agave and mesquite

seem one.

Lone star, bear flag,

Fredonia.

Sea to shining ore.

To San Antonio, Santa Fe,

Monterey. To Tijuana or Juarez

Saturday night, border

Chapultepec: young girls

descend, unfurl to drunken

gringos, las heroicas, "Viva

el pinche dólar." Chapultepec,

grasshopper hill: a park

devoted to the pleasure of

marines, devoted to

grasshoppers. Three brown

girls of age stroll by, their color

flagrant.

Long live the land

of plenty.

"If I could fly from this

island of clouds, from this

green island of clouds, from

this green island of orange

men lions, not follow

for long months, like cattle or

breaking sea on reef.

All exiles are kings' sons, after all.

Sad Tara. Leaden sea. Bright heavens."

To Canada, America, Churubusco,

Chapultepec. Flight of John Riley.

Harp of Erin, a Shamrock, a green field.

Was it Col. Bennet Riley or was

it Capt. O'Shay? 16 hanged at

San Angel, April 9, 1847. 4 hanged

at Mixcoac, April 10. 30 hanged

at Chapultepec, grasshopper hill,

where the children heroes took

flight, April 13. The rest: 50 lashes,

an iron collar with 3 prongs, 6

inches, 8 pounds each; a head shaving;

a D branded on the cheek.

From green Tara island to

green Tenochtitlan island,

from Erin to Aztlán,

I remember,

then.

Primero, el poder y la palabra. Napole6n

o el poder del pasado, Juárez o

el poder de la raza. Entre las

dos orillas del poder, un puente:

Carlota, que convierte

la historia de ambos poderes

en teatro. Habla la Hapsburg,

"J'aurais voulu montrer aux

enfants ces dorades, ces serpents

emplumés, cette pyramide. Les

mexicains ont bercé mes détrades,

et d'ineffables ventes m'ont ailée

par instants. Ce pays sauvage,

ce bateau perdu."

Encore

* * *

Quarto. Xronotop Xicano

Xronotop Xicano

Aguila negra, rojo chante.

Tinta y pluma.

Textos vivos,

written people: the vato

with la vida loca on his neck,

the vata with p.v., the ganga with

tears, the shining cross. Varrio

walls: codices; storefront

placazos: varrio names,

desafios, people names.

Written cars, names etched

in glass, "Land of a Thousand

Dances." Placas

and love etched in schools.

Faces of Indians branded

by Spaniards.

Faces of Irishmen branded

by Americans.

Gachupín: he who kicks

with the boot.

Yankee: new man, of the

new world, Yancuic.

Xicano: cantador, namer.

xicancuicatl

floricanto

canto

canto