kitchen table

Imagine this. Mother sits near the rusty stove,
chops onions for the puchero pot. Radio’s on.
A soft bolero by Lucho Gatica, “Somos”: we are.
She sings along to her favorite tune. He wants
to talk. Dog sleeps under the table. He doesn’t
know how. He met an older boy. They kissed.
It just happened. In an instant. His new dirty
shoes, her stained apron over her knotted hands.
Kitchen’s bright yellow light undoes him.
Mother senses his stare. Dinner isn’t ready yet.
He wants to say things. That same night
a storm breaks out, water overflows the gutters,
takes everything away—leaves, twigs, a straight
soft string. She doesn’t have much time.

oval table

Profane
four-legged thing
a holy place of gatherings
father mother three kids a ghost
eating asado Sunday mass barbecue
sins familiar sins scattered all over
the old checkered tablecloth Pray
one day you’ll have a family like this
all these traditions will pass on
to you Pray! this broken table
now dies slowly now lies
alone in a toolshed
somewhere
south.

high altar

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
—Genesis 8:20

A piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs, providing a level surface for eating, writing

of us kids
& father still
preaching
we’re both
alike you
my son I
will make
you love
every women
mujeriego
like dad
cracked
broken legs
or so he says

this life
unknown
to you
so apart
tell us
oh why
you feel
a man
hidden
inside liar
you love
hairy legs
so familiar
or so he says

poetry-magazineTable Variations

Table Variations