Stephanie Suarez
Mami no se queda en un hogar por mucho tiempo.
La necesidad la llama a otro lugar--pero,
en mi mente, hay cositas que saben sobrevivir.
Grandma's Country Crock, brown plastic container
that almost never contained butter, maybe
some rice and beans Grandpa didn't finish off.
In the freezer, above my line of vision,
chicken feet, pointed and clawing at me,
for sopa con fideos.
Sofrito for habichuelas lives
in another makeshift, repurposed, rasquache,
container.
Tin Keebler green cans with galletas
that finished off the butter that would have
lived in brown plastic.
Jars of Sanka and white, granulated,
sugar for Cornflakes
served in silver pots
Or government cheese in rectangular blocks
and cans of salchichas labeled
Goya--that's my traveling kitchen.
No home for the traveling teen mom
except the eyes of her child.
and the green tin, brown plastic,
with some matches
to light the stove.