i asked her to open
the shrink wrap
so i could see the book
and feel it in my hands.
its heft and weight, the new
book smell.
she obliged with a smile and
i inhaled, as i've done so many
times to mark the moment, to
make it last.
what swirled around me was
Chicano talk and Dago humor
and literary mumblings, backed
up by the softest of ranchera
melodies on Santiago's accordeon.
i accepted the book when she
held it up to me, saying 'i want to
see if they spelled my name right.'
my family in Chicano letters
surrounded me as my fingers swept
across their words: poems and other
writings by La Sandra and Tonzi and
raul and Carmen and so many others
who now walked this event, cheering
and applauding for our final release.
we are made here. we have spoken
and written aqui. aqui estamos y
no nos vamos. Latino/Chicano/Tejano
verse, lyric, rhyme, and story made
by us. Hecho En Tejas.
copyright 2007 tammy melody gomez
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