Extracts from This River Here: author, Carmen Tafolla
River Music
Curving into its cálido colors
mirrored against its own marbled movement
this stream has always sprung simply
smoothly from the heart of song
making soft melodies ring from the leaves
from mission bells and tender voices
of children who play here between the centuries
rippling in and out of laughter
Strong as silt, they stay unchanged
unweakened even by the years
their large dark eyes still staring, boldly
begging miracles of this green liquid gem
that washes quiet through city’s soul
healing, hearing, hoping
From sunpeak’s sound of rest
a moment’s cool peace stolen from
Payaya-speaking trees,
to midnight’s festive dance of colors
shimmers on the river singing
weaving past the barges named
María and Elena
and the paddleboats’ soft splash,
glimmering through and past
its sons and daughters
grown and multicolored like its flowers, barges,
like its Christmas lights,
comes this river music,
comes this harmony
to make the spirit-breath
dance peaceful
and flow strong,
reflecting
the very rhythm
of you
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At the Table of Cariño
In this place of quiet ripples and breeze smooth as buttercream
a place where the river winds slowly around your heart,
centuries of secret spices scent the air, emanate from rock walls,
wave in the sleepy, long-fingered leaves of branches of príncipe dormido
Herencia has a taste here, a flavor hard to lose
Here, the chile piquín blooms in the backyard,
sprouts tiny fire bombs of piquant power
The ancient trees drop a pilón of pecans in your lap
The tender touch of a watering can makes miracles grow tall –
papaya plants and rows of avocados
where they were never meant to be
Here, arms of love embrace the task, roll enchiladas red as
our library, mix in mole and motivos,
roast corn with chile powder and cilantro
Skin of cinnamon bakes buñuelos, naán bread, sweet potato pie
Fingers the fragrance of rosemary fold mushroom crepes,
drizzle lemon over jícama,
stew okra into gumbo
Hands sweet as survival carve Vietnamese eggrolls, chop water chestnuts,
barbecue the brisket till it falls apart
Eyes deep as chocolate craft homemade tamales
giftwrapped in corn shucks and tied with a bow
“¡Juan, ven a com-e-e-er! Ta caliente-e-e-e!”
And “Y’ALL? Hot and READY!”
Parents, spouses, loved ones at ten thousand tables
call at the same moment
Kids gather, lovers snuggle, even BUSINESS colleagues
brighten, glow to steaming plates set before them
while the sweetly sliced red melon waters the mouth
Everyone is salivating, syncopating, celebrating
in one citywide abrazo of nurturance and delight
In a place of quiet ripples and breeze smooth as buttercream
under the shade of our elders, the trees,
where we sit at the table of cariño
hosted by our multiflavored histories,
layered like lasagna
baklava
enchiladas a la Oaxaca
smoothed and melded like matzo ball caldo
like huevos con wienies,
magic in our mouths,
while we tell savory tales between “Pass the tortillas, would you?”
life is reborn in every bite.
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| Carmen Tafolla |
Carmen Tafolla, a native of the West-Side barrios of San Antonio and the author of more than 20 books, has been recognized by the National Association for Chicano Studies for work which “gives voice to the peoples and cultures of this land” and has received numerous recognitions, including two Tomás Rivera Book Awards, and two international Latino Book Awards. A member of the Texas Institute of Letters, she is Writer-in-Residence for Children’s, Youth & Transformative Literature at the University of Texas-San Antonio. In 2012, she was named the first-ever Poet Laureate of the City of San Antonio. For more information, visit the Carmen Tafolla Performance and Resource Site at salsa.net. Contact Wings Press for copies, www.wingspress.com.