Wednesday, March 17, 2021

A Life In Cinema

I remember my childhood in bits and pieces
As though it were a puzzle to be assembled

Isolated moments frozen and separated 
from the rest of the narrative

Sitting on the floor of an apartment 
soft carpet on my legs
pencil in one hand
scrawling lines on a saltine cracker
which I promptly ate
only to have my mother
walk in horrified 
and take both away

A large classroom filled with students
my parents among them
with me in tow
Too young and poor
to have anyone look after me
Everyone striving to learn
a tongue foreign to theirs
How old was I

Meeting my grandparents
my father's parents
Being in their home
in rural Mexico
Seeing the vast depth of a well
Watching Abuela raise a bucket
of fresh water to heat over the fire
for me to bathe in

Being in my grandparents house
and seeing a thatched roof
filled with rows of deer skulls
from my Abuelo hunting 
to provide food
for his wife and eight children

Scenes missing from the film
implying the whole

An ongoing story
with characters coming and going
Playing my part as best I can
Trying to not forget 
what I have seen 
what has been lived


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