Virgen de Guadalupe
She blocks the sun
rays shinning from behind
Standing on crescent moon
Divinely appearing
to those that need her most
The rich do not need gods
Mountainside appeared
to humble indigenous man
Juan Diego
Nauhatl his tongue
Tepeyac Mountain
with spiritual power
Tonantzin, Cuatlicue Mexica
goddess energy lived on earth
with the souls of the ancient
Diego not believed
proven by roses falling
from imprint
of mystic exchange
Cloth of hope
of destruction
of conversion
Brown faced virgin
Holy Mary mother of god
pray for us sinners now and
at the hour of our death
Ancient holy temple destroyed
new sacred church raised
stones cut from native hands
Memories hidden not lost
prayers chanted and changed
The source moved from one to the other
Virgin wearing indigenous clothing
robe green and star studded
Brown face like those
running into battle for
Independence
under a banner of you
Brown face like those that
fought for land and liberty
Brown like those women
fighting a revolution
Brown face for those
beautiful brown faces that light
candles in your name
Brown face like your nation
like the earth and rocks
Brown faced like
those that cross desserts
and constructed borders
Brown face like those that
build altars to you
in Zocalos in churches, in markets
and in their homes
Brown face like those said to be extinct
and yet still live
Brown face like the Maya, the Mexica, the Zapatecs
like all the indigenous
hidden away
who do not sit
in acceptance of their status
Brown like the face of my great grand mother
Juantina and my great great grand mother
Rosalia
Prayers made in your name
Brown like the earth that
grows maize we consume
Brown faced Virgin
Spanish in name
Indigenous in reality
Hail Mary full of hope
Hail Mary full of pride
Hail Mary full of strength
Hail Mary full of grace
The smiling flowers
On November 1st when Xiucoatl has accompanied
Huitzilopochtli on his journey to the underworld
and Tezcatlipoca is in the above sky
so blind eyes may see through the darkness of night
do not cry for my lost soul
I am not lost at all
death is no more then a continuation of life
Does one cry when in the fall the trees loose their leaves?
Does one cry when flowers no longer blossom and then wither?
No, it is understood that this is life.
We are sadden but we do not cry
We rejoice when spring comes and all is new
Rejoice my death as if I will return as the cempasuchitl does in fall
So on November 1st place upon my altar
a photo so I may be remembered physically in life
Place upon my altar
photos of the women from Juarez whom have disappeared with no trace
so their faces may be remembered
Place upon my altar photos of the indigenous of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Honduras and Venezuela
so we may not forget that they to are apart of us
Place upon my altar
photos of the undocumented Mexican workers in the United states
so we may understand that they deserve basic human rights
Place upon my altar
photos of all those who have felt the brunt of oppression
and refused to break under its yoke
So we may remember those who have struggled died and resisted
Yes on November 1st place upon my altar
Beautiful cut out designs of tissue paper
Not only for decoration but to remember the earth that was stolen
Cut them for the stars, the moon, the sun
so we may remember we must be humble in our dependency upon nature
Cut designs from the brightest of colors
Place paper of blue, to honor the polluted streams, rivers, lakes and oceans
Place paper of red to remember the earth that was lost by blood
Place white for the clouds, the sky and the air so it may be clean once again
Place green for the forest, jungles and all plants so we may use them wisely
On November 1st place upon my altar
All the foods I enjoyed so much in my lifetime
tacos de carne asada, de pastor, tortas, arroz con dule tamles and pan de muerte
Not only so I may enjoy a meal in the next cycle but so all of those who have died
of hunger may have sustenance for their body and soul
Place a glass of water
So all of those whom have died of thirst may drink with me
Place dulcies y choclate, churros, and conchas
so that children that have only tasted the bitter reality of life
may enjoy a sweet treat
Be sure to place frijoles
for all those killed as “beaners”, “wetbacks” and “spics” so they may eat with smiles
On November 1st place upon my altar
four candles not only for the four directions of the earth
but for all those of the world, North, South, East, West
who have died of starvation of the soul
numbing of the mind and physical hunger
brought about by war, domination and colonial rule
Place upon my altar
not only candles to help guide my way back on my journey
but place a candle for those who are blind to in justices
brought about by a world market that values products over life
Place a candle so the neo-liberals of the world
may see that communities have a right to exist
And on my altar place, tequila, Heineken, Coronas
needles and crack pipes
place blunts, squares and ex
So we may not forget what was created to destroy our physical being
So we may not forget those who have felt they cannot go on
for those souls that found hope by escaping what is real
Place all of this to remember pain and desperation
and to remember that we may all one day feel both
On my altar place a pen
not only because I like to write
but for those who can’t
Place books not only because I like to read
but for those who never had a chance to learn how
Place upon my altar
skulls of sugar not only to greet death with a smile
but to remember those who did not have a chance to live
and passed on from curable diseases
To remember that to often
the money for medicine,
is worth more than a human life
Place upon my altar
albums of hip-hop and salsa
nortenos and cumbias
Corridos and ballads
not only because I enjoyed listening to music
but for those who had no time to do so
For those whose lives were focused on survival
and only danced to the rhythm of a post modern industrialized world
Place upon my altar
incense of copal
not only so I may enjoy its essence
but to remember those who have smelled
the fowl cent of burning fuels, diesel and gasoline
Those who have smelled the decay of an urban city
and for those who have smelled the odor of a dead comrades
Place upon my altar
empty bullet shells
for those burned by lead
Place broken mirrors
for all those times we where told we were ugly
Place pain and sorrow
Hate and vengeance so we may forgive and be forgiven
Place mercy and peace so humanity one day may know love
Place the stars and the moon, the sky and the sun, the earth and the ocean
Place smiles kisses and hugs, laughter and music
Place memories of friends gone
and of children yet to come
Place stories of history and resistance
And place upon my altar flowers of cempasuchil
not only as an offering to the spirits and energies
But to remember our lives are like flowers
A flower may die in the fall
but its fragrance lingers
The pedals may dry
But its essence continues to live
So on November 1st when Xiucoatl has accompanied
Huitzilopochtli on his journey to the underworld
and Tezcatlipoca is in the above sky
so blind eyes may see through the darkness of night
Place upon my altar all those things that had meaning in my life
But do not cry tears of sorrow
For I am watching
we are watching
and laughing
mocking death just as the sugar skulls
that adorn our altars
Do not cry for my lost soul
I am not lost at all
Death is no more then a continuation of life
Our lives are like the flowers-
