General Poetry posted November 13, 2022 | Chapters: | ...-1 5 -6- 7 |
A series of 'instructions'
A chapter in the book Deconstructing the Greats
And Then...
by Heather Knight
|
This poem was inspired by Javier Zamora's 'Instructions for My Funeral'.
Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador, but emigrated to the States when he was nine (his parents left before him and he was brought up by his grandparents till he left).
If you want to know more about him, you can read his book 'Solito' which is the next in my reading list. He has also published a poetry collection called 'Unaccompanied' (that's where I found the poem below).
Don't burn me in no steel furnace, burn me
in Abuelita's garden. Wrap me in blue-
white-and-blue
Douse me in the cheapest gin. Whatever you do,
don't judge my home. Cut my bones
with a machete till I'm finest dust
Please, no priests, no crosses, no flowers.
Steal a flask and stash me inside. Blast music,
dress to impress. Please be drunk.
Bust out the drums the army strums.
Bust out the guitars guerrilleros strummed
and listen to the war inside
Carouse the procession
dancing to the pier. Moor me
in a motorboat
driven by a nine-year-old
son of a fisherman. Scud to the center
of the Estero de Jaltepec. Read
"Como tu," and toss pieces of bread.
As the motorboat circles,
open the flask, so I'm breathed like a jacaranda,
like a flor de mayo
like an alcatraz--then, forget me
and let me drift.
The El Salvador flag is white and blue.
Abuelita means grandma
I'd never heard the word estero before. I found the translation stream, although it looks more like an estuary on Google pictures. In Spain we call it estuario.
'Como tu' is a poem by Richard Blanco who was the inaugural poet for Obama's second inauguration. He was the first immigrant, the first Latino and the first openly gay person to receive that honour.
A flor the mayo is a Christmas orchid.
I'm sure Helen will understand, but when I wrote 'and at least a song by him', I meant Dan Vasc. :)
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Javier Zamora was born in El Salvador, but emigrated to the States when he was nine (his parents left before him and he was brought up by his grandparents till he left).
If you want to know more about him, you can read his book 'Solito' which is the next in my reading list. He has also published a poetry collection called 'Unaccompanied' (that's where I found the poem below).
Don't burn me in no steel furnace, burn me
in Abuelita's garden. Wrap me in blue-
white-and-blue
Douse me in the cheapest gin. Whatever you do,
don't judge my home. Cut my bones
with a machete till I'm finest dust
Please, no priests, no crosses, no flowers.
Steal a flask and stash me inside. Blast music,
dress to impress. Please be drunk.
Bust out the drums the army strums.
Bust out the guitars guerrilleros strummed
and listen to the war inside
Carouse the procession
dancing to the pier. Moor me
in a motorboat
driven by a nine-year-old
son of a fisherman. Scud to the center
of the Estero de Jaltepec. Read
"Como tu," and toss pieces of bread.
As the motorboat circles,
open the flask, so I'm breathed like a jacaranda,
like a flor de mayo
like an alcatraz--then, forget me
and let me drift.
The El Salvador flag is white and blue.
Abuelita means grandma
I'd never heard the word estero before. I found the translation stream, although it looks more like an estuary on Google pictures. In Spain we call it estuario.
'Como tu' is a poem by Richard Blanco who was the inaugural poet for Obama's second inauguration. He was the first immigrant, the first Latino and the first openly gay person to receive that honour.
A flor the mayo is a Christmas orchid.
I'm sure Helen will understand, but when I wrote 'and at least a song by him', I meant Dan Vasc. :)
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