Crossing The Border

 CROSSING THE BORDER

Once, it was their home.

Santa Cruz, their sacred cross.

Santa Fe, their sacred faith.

San Jose,

San Pedro,

San Diego,

San Antonio,

San Francisco

And Santa Ana,

            Their sacred saints.

El Centro and El Paso,

Las Vegas and Las Cruces,

            Los Alamos and Los Angeles,

                    Their city of the angels.

California, a far fabled land

            On their ancient maps.

Mesas, their tabletop buttes,

Sierras, their snow capped mountains,

Colorado, their red land,

            Colorado, their red river,

New Mexico, not Old Mexico.

Once, it was their home.

            **********

Now it is a foreign land.

Now they must cross the border

And leave their bones in the desert,

Their skulls under a blazing sun,

In their long trek to return home.