Tomás Rivera. Poesía chicana.

M'IJO NO MIRA NADA

– Mira, m'ijo, qué rascacielo.

   “Does it reach the sky and heaven?”

– Mira, m'ijo, qué carrazo.

   “Can it get to the end of the world?”

– Mira, m'ijo, ese soldado.

   “¿Por qué pelea?”

– Mira, m'ijo, qué bonita fuente.

   “Yes, but I want to go to the restroom.”

– Mira, m'ijo, qué tiendota de J.C. Penney,

   allí trabajarás un día.

   “Do you know the people there, daddy?”

– No

   vámonos a casa,

   tú no miras nada.

MY SON DOESN'T SEE A THING

– Look, son, what a skycraper.

   “Does it reach the sky and heaven?”

– Look, son, what a fine car.

   “Can it get to the end of the world?”

– Look, son, see that soldier.

   “Why does he fight?”

– Look, son, what a beautiful fountain.

   “Yes, but I want to go to the restroom.”

– Look, son, what an enormous J.C. Penney store,

   there is where you will work one day. 

   “Do you know the people there, daddy?”

– No

   let's go home,

   you can't see a thing.

From: Fiesta en Aztlán. Ed. Toni Empringham. Capra Press, 1982. 

Tomás Rivera (Crystal City, Texas, 1935- Fontana, California, 1984) was a Chicano author, poet, and educator. He was born in Texas to migrant farm workers, and worked in the fields as a young boy. However, he achieved social mobility through education—earning a degree at Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University), and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) at the University of Oklahoma.

His publications include Y no se lo tragó la tierra / The Earth Did Not Part, Always and Other Poems, and numerous articles, monographs, and reports.