7AM TUESDAY, OVERCAST, SLIGHT CHANCE OF THE FUTURE

7AM TUESDAY, OVERCAST,
SLIGHT CHANCE OF THE FUTURE

by Diego Apaza and Laura Gottesdiener

This morning I was awoken
By a bit of sunlight that
Snuck in thru my window
Before my pants came on,
Because my pants DID come on

I'm sure of this,
Like the infantryman

in Afghanistan
Is sure she is not coming home
Anytime soon
and 4th of July fireworks
over Kabul, burn brighter
I've heard
(Practice makes perfect)

so I captured
this bit of light
And with my hands
cupped it

Into a warm ball of energy--
A newspaper read cover to cover
Even the obituaries,
(Dvante Roberts died, did u see?
U knew him as Little, Only 19)

Lives crumpled
And tossed like balled
Newsprint or this
Sphere of energy

I wasn't too sure
what to do with it,
So I began to whisper
those words
that came from
these thoughts,
U know what
I'm talking about,
You've slept

with circumstance

I'm not too sure

of these things
But I've heard
Some of these poems
Have traveled 1000 light years,
Maybe more,

I do know that they came
From the land of memory,
that place
where all of us will one day
go and continue our work

The sun has risen high by now
Downstairs the coffee is brewing
My package is ready to
Be entrusted to the Chinese
Lady at the 3rd ave post office
First class mail
No signature required
I double checked
the zip code

I'm not too worried
about the timing
Because I know that

if it reaches u by night

it will arrive
as a warm comfort
and Companion
to hold u thru the moon's cycle.

If it reaches u by morning,
it will wake u with a kiss and
a persuasive argument for
completing the duties of your days

If it reaches u while u sleep, I'm sure
It will come as inspiration.

Beware of this one tho,
for it will be important
to write it down
Or else you will lose it
and u must tell me immediately
so I can

Send a petition
to inspiration Land
(not too far from the realm of memory)

In order to retrieve it,

their bureaucracy is due
to their overwhelming demand.

But let's not worry unless
the time comes, let's not stress
what a mess this all is,
Or how
this all came to be, let's not
get buried under the heaviness
of
past
failures

We are
where we are
because we are,
We do
what we must
with what we have

1000 miles away where u are
(I still don't know why ur there)

U will find these words scrawled across the wall
smelling of secrets and burnt corn oil:

You are doing better than u know

Mayo, Algo, 2015
En Camino al Jardin de Lupe

Y las llaves?
Yo la pregunto
Quieres que entre por la ventana?
Yo la pregunto
Que chingaus, porque no contestan esta madre?
me responde
Y tu planta?
Me la dieron Grat---
Me lo lleve
Esta grande, parece muuuy cara
Ya vez, como dije me la lleve!

El marido nos abre, el que
se pone un cachucha de NYPD,
Mira que trajo el viento?
(porque algunas vezes el viento tiene la culpa)
ah bueno, lupe, invitale algo al muchacho,
no se preocupen, solo te como una naranja,
Y pues, me pongo a pelar, viendo gatos negros,
y pajaros pequenos.

Quieres que te compre una casa de pajaros?
Yo la pregunto
nah, estos cochinos me tienen ediendo todo el jardin,
(quien sabia que los pajaros eran asi?)
Entonces que es lo que necesitas?
Un abogado, pero bueno y que sepa español, conoces?
El unico que conocia se fu pa' africa?
Que hace en africa?
Quien sabe,
tratando de cambiar el sistema, sera?
debe ser, porque al fin, eso es el problema,
si, este pinche sistema,
quieres algo para tomar?
No gracias, estoy bien,
aqui nomas, pelando mi naranja,
en el jardin de lupe