cinco de mayo

aaron abeyta

About the Author

i look through a book of names
as thick as a man's fist
looking for the name of a man
who died as though he were sleeping
Jose Angel Ortiz

my finger finds his name
on the ninth panel
of the vietnam veteran's memorial
a cloud of dust
and the faintest flickering of light
when the grenade put his name
into the black granite

i was not there
i was not born yet
i know he died
hardly looking dead at all
when my father in law
identified Jose Angel Ortiz
he looked like he was asleep

still this is not
1968 and the faintest flickering of light
it is 1998
and people believe
cinco de mayo
is about cruising
federal bouelevard

cinco de mayo
is not about cruising
not about what flag we wave
but about memory
i offer
that it is about names

Jose Angel Ortiz
was returned to texas
wrapped in stars
not a marine
not even alive
his mother not concerned
with which flag covered
her boy

cinco de mayo
a boy cruises federal
until his car runs out of gas
he pushes it slowly toward the station
he does not make it
a bullet to the head
a boy dies outside a convenience store

i have already forgotten his name
cinco de mayo
it was the fifth of may
can you remember that boy's name
did his mother wrap him in a flag
did he die as though he were asleep

i rub the name
Jose Angel Ortiz
onto a white piece of paper
the pencil catching fragments
of letters and partial names
which surround the name
i have come looking for
it is a beautiful name
say it with me
Jose Angel Ortiz

©Copyrightaaron abeyta