SANTA FE ROMANCE

Santa Fe Train Station

Emporia’s Little Mexico

La Colonia Trailer Court

Las Casitas Park

Santa Fe Train Station

I’d pick Lopez up at—

The Santa Fe Railroad

Station late at night

He had a day job—

In Kansas City and

Commuted each day

We’d have a late—

Dinner at Blaylock’s

Café quietly together

Then I’d take him—

Home south of the tracks

Down on South Street

He lived alone in a—

Dumpy little trailer

In “Little Mexico”

Emporia’s Little Mexico

Emporia had this dirty—

Little secret that it

Kept all to itself

It had its very own—

Hidden little Mexican

Ghetto there in town

From the 1920’s—

Santa Fe imported and

Hired Mexican laborers

To work the tracks—

The Wheel House and

All the different shops

Cheap housing—

For their big families

No questions asked

La Colonia Trailer Court

They called it Little Mexico—

But the older Hispanics back

Then called it La Colonia

Some stayed when the—

Great Depression came

Doing odd jobs & gardening

Manuel lived alone in—

A Streamlite Travel Trailer

I’d stay overnight with him

He had a crucifix there—

Hanging on the bare wall

Above his ratty little bed

He stared at it at night—

When I was in bed with

Him, sucking him off

Las Casitas Park

There’s a park there—

Now where the ghetto

Used to be hidden 

Over the years—

Las Casitas Park has served

As the main location for Fiestas

For car shows, quinceneras—

And basketball tournaments

For meetings and birthday parties

Reunions and rehearsals—

For various Mexican dance groups

Arriba!!! Come rain or shine!!!

Not to mention everyday use—

As a playground for the youth

With its basketball court