Allen Itz
on the porch at Espuma
I'm sitting on the porch
at Espuma's on South Alamo,
enjoying my coffee and
sweet potato empanada,
watching the early traffic,
a few cars, a delivery truck
on it way to the marcado
a few blocks north of here,
school kids in their uniforms,
tan pants, white shirts,
heavy backpacks swinging,
first from one arm
than the other, morning
walkers with their dogs,
poop bags at the ready,
big dogs, little dogs,
expensive dogs, registered,
pure bred with long names
that sound like they belong
to the illegitimate offspring
of deposed Polish royalty
it's a good neighborhood
with royal Polish dogs and
yuppies, poop-free sidewalks
and kids going to school, and,
here and there, the old men
and women, the abuelos and
abuelitas, who made this
neighborhood after the Germans
and before redevolpment
all of this
under blue skies
and a light north wind
that has blown away
this past godawful summer
so it's like the air is born-again,
like the religious people say,
the past gone, denied, forgotten,
forgiven, and a new beginning
with this clear light and clean skies
and even someone like me
wants to say, thank you, god,
for this day and for as many more
like it as you will allow this
old sinner and non-believer
I'm thinking all this
when Allie brings my change,
seven dollars and twelve cents,
and I think, what a life it is to sit
there in this beautiful morning
and drink coffee and eat pan dulce
while people bring me money
and say thanks for being here and
be sure and come back tomorrow
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Allen Itz
is a native South Texan, moving slowly over the years from a small
town on the border in deep South Texas to San Antonio and the
Texas hill country. He began as a writer in the late 1960's, published
a few poems, then quit writing for nearly 30 years. He returned to
poetry when he retired several years ago and has since published more
than 200 poems in various on-line and print literary journals and has
recently released his first book, Seven Beats a Second. Go to Allen's website at www.7beats.com for information on the art, poetry and music that make up his Seven Beats Project.
email Allen Itz
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