from a few years ago a mini zine I wrote about South Texas and “feelings” If you’re going to use my zines or writings in a class, for discussion, for a project or thesis, please let me know. It’s the nice thing to do. If you’re gonna quote me in a book, I shouldn’t [...]
The poems and stories in this tag were written for a YA fiction writing class. Set in and around Edcouch -Elsa and Monte Alto. Themes are hunger, families, food/nourishment, connections. Buses in there somewhere. Wikipedia: Edcouch-Elsa Independent School District is a public school district based in Edcouch, Texas (USA). In addition to Edcouch, the district also serves the city of Elsa. The district serves [...]
Eva Taking a shower at Tia’s was a dance. There was no cold water and the hot water steamed, burned your skin. Tia had complained to the landlord about there being no hot water. Only she didn’t complain to him, she went straight to Section 8 housing office. This had made him angry so [...]
Perla I ALWAYS EXPECT SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. I’m waiting for something big to happen. Every day with butterflies in my stomach that can’t escape a net. On Monday mornings, on the way to school, there’s like this extra air building up in my throat and chest. Like when I have to run 5 laps [...]
Perla’s Mom This morning Perla’s mom gets on the bus after her daughter steps on. She usually watches from the door, standing there until the bus leaves the long row of one room jacalitos behind. The walls are paper-thin—every sneeze and flush from the other rooms wakes you up at night. It’s autumn but [...]
Grocery List Around the 15th of the month we run out of food no more flour, no more pancake mix applesauce or sugar no more tortillas or noodles starchy rice, bread to fill the gaps start looking for cans in the back of the cabinet -I think I saw tuna -Maybe Abuelo Chemita will bring [...]
Leticia Mejía Leticia Mejia September 26, 1989 Language Arts Room 23-Mrs. Dávila E-E Central Middle School We are supposed to write about our feelings of the accident in the journal, free write. The bus where the kids drowned. It just happened. I get on the bus every morning. I didn’t know those kids. They went [...]
Daniel Bakes a Cake Daniel and his sister Marcela were bussed from Monte Alto to the high school in the next town over, Edcouch-Elsa. Monte Alto didn’t have a high school or a post office, with a population of 941, it didn’t need a gas station either. The bus ride was a long one [...]
Beatriz Beatriz impatiently waits on the corner of Second and Main Street, the bus stop in front of Don Mateo’s Mechanic Shop. In the evenings when she gets home from school, the car fumes smell worse than burnt toast. Dark smoke spirals up, fills her nose, and brings her back to this world. Mornings [...]
Boy with Pencil in Hand He writes So he can Have something that is his