Southside Blues

Lost in the fold of border patrols

and Davinci Codes

are the streets where the original pachucos and pachucas strolled

they say the Heart of Aztlan

is old

and needs to be reconstructed like Iraq

instead of tanks— bulldozers

instead of soldiers—suits blue and black

it's that same ol' game of

lies turned facts

tryin to act like we don't know

right on the wrong side of the tracks

but livin on the brown side of the map makes you

see through borders and booby traps

profiteers with stacks

and money-hungry colonizers

corrupt editors and writers and

sold-out Mexicans actin white-er

makes you realize we need fighters—not miseducated apologizers...

Wholly United

Why does this world ask me to meet it halfway

when I haven’t lived ½ my life

or have half my rights

and always have to fight for my better half

and half of my time is spent having a hard time

while the other half

I’m tryin to stay whole…. Divided….

Between halves and wholes, minds and souls

haves and have nots

justice and voting polls…. divided….

Between books and crooks, thoughts and looks

rage and age

race and a cage…. divided….

By judges wit grudges, killer cops wit glocks

politicians wit missions

usin laws to talk…. divided….

By colors and gang signs, street names and cities

the fear of not living scared

and the fear of not living…. divided….

So why does this world ask me to meet it halfway

when I haven’t lived ½ my life

or have half my rights

and always have to fight for my better half

and half of my time is spent having a hard time

while the other half

Im tryin to stay whole… united…

Maybe it’s because I have half my life to live

my whole heart to give

to a community that isn’t treated as half human

and half the time Im tired of tryin to stay whole

But I still have to….

So the lesson is:

            We cant be wholly divided or

            have half-ass unity

Antonio Lopez is a student of Chicana/o and Mexican community history at the University of Texas at El Paso.