¡Feliz cumpleaños!
04.10.2003Two birthdays today. Dad and Novalí. You'll have to forgive me if I tilt the number of pictures in favor of my niece, but she's only two years old. My brother has tons of pictures to choose from on her website. Here's a small sample, including a few pics of my dad.
I don't have many stories about Novi. She lives in Chicago and I hardly ever see her. Still, she's the cutest two-year-old Bolivorican on the planet. But I've known my dad all my life. He's the greatest father. Ever. Instead of writing a short little story about him (here's an older one), I'm posting a poem I wrote about him when I was in high school. It's about the time shortly after we first moved to Michigan and my dad didn't yet speak English.
Papá
Papá comes home dirty and tired from work
filled with the smells of highway grease and old sweat.
He meets mamá at the doorstep
and they face each other across the thin carpet.
Mamá in her pink robe.
Papá in greasy jeans and grey sweatshirt.
he breathes hard and smiles,
only reaches up a hand to shake his hair.
Says hello and can he have his dinner please.
I watch from the stairwell
while mamá sets a plate of cold rice on the table
and papá washes his broken hands.
I watch papá eat alone in silence.
Mamá watching with her head on her elbows.
Me in the dusty stairwell,
watching papá show me how to be a man.
Posted by Miguel at 08:24 PM
Comments
beautiful peom, it brought a tear to my eye. Hope to see you next week.
Posted by: Andres at April 11, 2003 08:41 AM
Your Freeze-o-ween costume was perfect!
Love,
Micah
Posted by: Micah at April 11, 2003 02:40 PM
good poem. i always loved your work. novali will no longer be able to join us this weekend. it might be better since grandpa will be in hospital.
Posted by: sam at April 16, 2003 09:52 AM