La Casita

You used to hold up my hair

A soft blue, you were

I intentionally left you on the door knob

I felt that if I left you there, my childhood

would forever be immortalized

A for sale sign was put on to the front lawn

I had hopes of you never being sold

You were my second home, yet I knew

we had to give you up

We had to move on, and you were

holding us back

“¿Donde nos vamos a juntar?”

The answer was always you.

As soon as we’d open in the door,

you were always there.

“¡Hola, Nina y Nino!”

How nice it was to hug you.

“¡Ay, mi niña!”

Please tell me I’m your little girl again.

“Saludate a tus tíos.”

All of us in our own room,

you were my happy place.

“Give me a fake tattoo!”

“Is the food ready?”

“Let's make an iMovie!”

“Can we play sardines?”

“Let’s make a VideoStar!”

“You guys wanna go to the liquor store?”

Once he was diagnosed, we knew it was

going to come to an end.

I cherished those visits more and more

every day we went.

One day, his own body failed him.

He died right in his own home.

Just as he wished.

I was only 11 when I saw him pass in front of me.

“¡Lleva la a la casa! ¡Ella no puede estar aquí!”

Yet, all I wanted to do was be there with him.

Here I lay, on the floor of our room,

which he once gave us years ago

I notice you, my soft blue hair tie

How many years has it been?

How are you?

How could I forget you had been here

this whole time?

I go to look at you, debating if I should

take you home

If I couldn’t remember what we did in this room,

I know you would

I regret not picking you up.

Now you're lost in a pile of garbage,

and the only soft blue I know is the sky.