Poetry

Peg Hunter photo

By

Frank Kearns

Dreaming in America

A courtyard by Olvera Street

chairs and microphone arranged

adults—teachers, volunteers

in front    a dozen students stand

one steps up when introduced

and begins to speak

her voice sails north from Sinaloa

past Sonora’s ancient sands

El Paso and Los Angeles

she speaks of rising past her past

dreams the future bright   and we —

sitting in the audience—agree

but who among us dreams

the white of blinding spotlights cutting

shadows in the night

who among us knows

of sitting on a dark El Paso curb

of seeing van doors swallow fathers

as the flashing reds and blues

reflect off bits of trash and oil

to tattoo lines across her mind

that darken like a child’s scribble

whenever it is time for her

to dream about America

Puerto Rico

Found words from the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times

No light at night against the darkness

deeper and more ominous than ever

A series of tweets last Saturday

The silence has a texture

Rico: rich, wealthy, delicious, exquisite

The shelter lost electricity

The steady quiet from Washington

has an ugly feel

Trump lobs paper towels

Waiting is what Puerto Rico does best

500 years of Spanish empire

The elderly are dying

at twice the typical rate

Half my house was made of cement

I still have that one wall

Frank Kearns

Frank Kearns is a transplanted New Englander and a longtime California resident. He is the author of two poetry collections, “Circling Venice” (2013) and “Yearlings” (2015). His work has also appeared in anthologies such as “Beyond the Lyric Moment,” “Like a Girl: Perspectives on Feminism,” “The California Writers Club Literary Review,” and “Now and Then.”