Milagro
When she was born
Her mother named her milagro
The neighbors said she was beautiful
But it was too bad her hair was a little kinky
When she was fifteen she had dreams to go after
When she was seventeen she dropped out of the school
Cause it was the groovey thing to do
When she was seventeen she opened her legs to
Papo who told her he loved her
The night after he told her get the fuck away
When she was seventeen she was cool
She partied
She smoked
And got down a few times
Hoping someone would tell her i love you
And mean it
But time passed and no one ever did
When she was nineteen she had ten abortions
Three from freddie
Four from hector
And three from fernando
When she was nineteen she was cool
She was beautiful
Selling her wasted body on chippewa street
To buy american dreams
Hating the ugly smell of polluted breath and
Old men telling her
I love you spanish girl.
Cappas, Alberto. "milagro." Revista Chicano-Riqueña, vol. 4, no. 4, 1976, p. 36.
Rights: Alberto Cappas; Arte Público PressMilagro (trad.)
Cuando nació,
Su madre la nombró milagro
Los vecinos notaron su belleza
Pero que pena que tenía el cabello algo grifo
A los quince, ella quería perseguir sus sueños
A los diecisiete abandonó la escuela
Porque para ese entonces pensaban que era gruvi
A los diecisiete, le abrió las piernas
A Papo, quien le había dicho que la amaba
La noche después que él le había dicho que se largara pa’l carajo
A los diecisiete, ella era cool.
Festejaba
Fumaba
Y echó par de polvos
Ilusionada de que alguien al fin le dijese que la amaba
Y lo dijera en serio
Pero el tiempo transcurría y nadie nunca se lo dijo.
Ya a los 19, se había realizado diez abortos.
Tres de freddie
Cuatro de hector
Y tres de fernando
A los diecinueve, era cool
Era hermosa
Vendía su cuerpo en la calle chippewa
para comprar el sueño americano
Detestaba el tufo del aliento contaminado y
los viejos que le murmuraban
I love you, Spanish girl
Cappas, Alberto. "milagro." Revista Chicano-Riqueña, vol. 4, no. 4, 1976, p. 36.
Rights: Alberto Cappas; Arte Público Press