Puerto Rican Obituary

They workedThey were always on timeThey were never lateThey

never spoke backwhen they were insultedThey workedThey never
took days offthat were not on the calendarThey never went on
strikewithout permissionThey workedten days a weekand were
only paid for fiveThey workedThey workedThey workedand they
diedThey died brokeThey died owingThey died never knowing
what the front entranceof the first national city bank looks like
JuanMiguelMilagrosOlgaManuelAll died yesterday todayand will
die again tomorrowpassing their bill collectorson to the next of
kinAll diedwaiting for the garden of edento open up againunder a
new managementAll dieddreaming about americawaking them up
in the middle of the nightscreaming: Mira Mirayour name is on
the winning lottery ticketfor one hundred thousand dollarsAll died
hating the grocery storesthat sold them make-believe steakand
bullet-proof rice and beansAll died waiting dreaming and hating
Dead Puerto RicansWho never knew they were Puerto RicansWho
never took a coffee breakfrom the ten commandmentsto KILL
KILL KILLthe landlords of their cracked skullsand communicate
with their latino souls
JuanMiguelMilagrosOlgaManuelFrom the nervous breakdown
streetswhere the mice live like millionairesand the people do not
live at allare dead and were never alive
Juandied waiting for his number to hitMigueldied waiting for the
welfare checkto come and go and come againMilagrosdied
waiting for her ten childrento grow up and workso she could quit
workingOlgadied waiting for a five dollar raiseManueldied waiting
for his supervisor to drop deadso he could get a promotion
Is a long ridefrom Spanish Harlemto long island cemeterywhere
they were buriedFirst the trainand then the busand the cold cuts
for lunchand the flowersthat will be stolenwhen visiting hours are
overIs very expensiveIs very expensiveBut they understandTheir
parents understoodIs a long non-profit ridefrom Spanish Harlem
to long~sland cemetery

JuanMiguelMilagrosOlgaManuelAll died yesterday todayand will

die again tomorrowDreamingDreaming about queensClean-cut
lily-white neighborhoodPuerto Ricanless sceneThirty-thousanddollar homeThe first spics on the blockProud to belong to a
communityof gringos who want them lynchedProud to be a long
distance awayfrom the sacred phrase: Que Pasa
These dreams These empty dreamsfrom the make-believe
bedroomstheir parents left themare the after-effectsof television
programsabout the idealwhite american familywith black maids
and latino janitorswho are well trainto make everyoneand their
bill collectorslaugh at themand the people they represent
Juandied dreaming about a new carMigueldied dreaming about
new anti-poverty programsMilagrosdied dreaming about a trip to
Puerto RicoOlgadied dreaming about real jewelryManueldied
dreaming about the irish sweepstakes
They all diedlike a hero sandwich diesin the garment districtat
twelve o'clock in the afternoonsocial security number to ashes
union dues to dust
They knewthey were born to weepand keep the morticians
employedas long as they pledge allegianceto the flag that wants
them destroyedThey saw their names listedin the telephone
directory of destructionThey were train to turnthe other cheek by
newspapersthat mispelled mispronouncedand misunderstood
their namesand celebrated when death cameand stole their final
laundry ticket
They were born deadand they died dead
Is timeto visit sister lopez againthe number one healerand
fortune card dealerin Spanish HarlemShe can communicatewith
your late relativesfor a reasonable feeGood news is guaranteed
Rise Table Rise Tabledeath is not dumb and disableThose who
love you want to knowthe correct number to playLet them know
this right awayRise Table Rise Tabledeath is not dumb and disable
Now that your problems are overand the world is off your
shouldershelp those who you left behindfind financial peace of
mind

Rise Table Rise Tabledeath is not dumb and disableIf the right
number we hitall our problems will splitand we will visit your
graveon every legal holidayThose who love you want to knowthe
correct number to playLet them know this right awayWe know
your spirit is ableDeath is not dumb and disableRISE TABLE RISE
TABLE
JuanMiguelMilagrosOlgaManuelAll died yesterday todayand will
die again tomorrowHating fighting and stealingbroken windows
from each otherPracticing a religion without a roofThe old
testamentThe new testamentaccording to the gospelof the
internal revenuethe judge and jury and executionerprotector and
eternal bill collector
Secondhand shit for saleLearn how to say Como Esta Ustedand
you will make a fortuneThey are deadThey are deadand will not
return from the deaduntil they stop neglectingthe art of their
dialoguefor broken english lessonsto impress the mister
goldsteinswho keep them employedas lavaplatos porters
messenger boysfactory workers maids stock clerksshipping clerks
assistant mailroomassistant, assisant assistantto the assistant's
assistantassistant lavaplatos and automaticartificial smiling
doormenfor the lowest wages of the agesand rages when you
demand a raisebecause is against the company policyto promote
SPICS SPICS SPICS
Juandied hating Miguel because Miguel'sused car was in better
running conditionthan his used carMigueldied hating Milagros
because Milagroshad a color television setand he could not afford
one yetMilagrosdied hating Olga because Olgamade five dollars
more on the same jobOlgadied hating Manuel because Manuelhad
hit the numbers more timesthan she had hit the numbersManuel
died hating all of themJuanMiguelMilagrosand Olgabecause they
all spoke broken englishmore fluently than he did
And now they are togetherin the main lobby of the voidAddicted
to silenceOff limits to the windConfine to worm supremacyin long
island cemeteryThis is the groovy hereafterthe protestant
collection boxwas talking so loud and proud about
Here lies JuanHere lies MiguelHere lies MilagrosHere lies Olga

Here lies Manuelwho died yesterday todayand will die again

tomorrowAlways brokeAlways owingNever knowingthat they are
beautiful peopleNever knowingthe geography of their complexion
PUERTO RICO IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACEPUERTORRIQUENOS ARE A
BEAUTIFUL RACE
If only theyhad turned off the televisionand tune into their own
imaginationsIf only theyhad used the white supremacy biblesfor
toilet paper purposeand make their latino soulsthe only religion
of their raceIf only theyhad return to the definition of the sun
after the first mental snowstormon the summer of their sensesIf
only theyhad kept their eyes openat the funeral of their fellow
employeeswho came to this country to make a fortuneand were
buried without underwears
JuanMiguelMilagrosOlgaManuelwill right now be doing their own
thingwhere beautiful people singand dance and work together
where the wind is a strangerto miserable weather conditions
where you do not need a dictionaryto communicate with your
peopleAqui Se Habla Espanol all the timeAqui you salute your flag
firstAqui there are no dial soap commericalsAqui everybody
smells goodAqui tv dinners do not have a futureAqui the men and
women admire desireand never get tired of each otherAqui Que
Paso Power is what's happeningAqui to be called negritomeans to
be called LOVE