despecho hour at the casa azul restaurante y cantina
BY JOSÉ OLIVAREZ
Para Aracely
despecho rhymes with espejo—
translation: my sibs could be
my twins if
they weren’t so feos.
remix: if i weren’t so ugly
i wouldn’t look so much like mis hermanos.
let me try again:
this one goes out to my fam
posted at the bar pouring shots
until the ceiling falls apart & reveals
the moon. i’m sorry to break
the news: you can sing all you want,
comadre, you can get Chente himself
to sing on your behalf—she’s gone.
translation: all that’s left to do
llorar y llorar.
one more time
for those who haven’t caught on:
it’s that time of night where all you have
is your biggest ache & all its nicknames.
our bartender is from Guatemala.
he tells us Spanish is his second language.
his first language is Ixil.
in the entire state of Iowa
how many people speak Ixil?
question:
is despecho the music he plays
when he cleans the drunks up from the bar
& is despecho what it sounds like
when you cross one strange country
just to land in another & discover
all your words for love are strange & unfamiliar?