CHARRO DAYS AT THE OLD MARKET
David E. Cowen
Blue paper donkeys hang from a long pole;
mariachis blare Colores in the rising heat;
old faces smile as they offer burnt carmel to the young.
Silver buckles and turquoise rings
shimmer in glass cases,
smudged with tiny prints,
just beyond the reach of curiosity.
A first kiss before the Dance of the Viejos;
a last kiss after the Machete dance.
Red Dusk lights yellow sparklers,
children run in a train of rainbow crepe,
waiting for the breaking of the pinata;
chicle' rains from the shattered belly
of a straw dog;
brown heads swarm onto the sweetness,
then retreat to the soft laps of their donas
as the sky burst in brightly peppered light.