Me & Jim
Jim Feliz was half Apache and Latino
but looked more Indian than Mexican
I am 1/16th Cherokee and Irish
with the rest Anglo but look
like a full blooded Okie
We both had the same animal guides--
horses
That’s how we met each other
at Santa Anita
Because of his surname kids at school
would greet Jim, “Felix the Cat
the wonderful, wonderful cat...”
That’s why he always bet on any horse
with a cat in their name like Outlaw Cat
Onebadkitty or Relato Del Gato
He also had a tabby named Tiger who
Knew how to listen whenever he had
any troubles he needed to talk about
When we went to the races we didn’t sit
in the grandstand as Bukowski did
but at one of the tables in a pavilion near
the eastern entrance of Santa Anita
Often blackbirds would flock nearby
and Jim would toss to them any
remaining corn chips or pretzels
Jim and I also smoked cigars
He a pack of Phillies
Me a cigar costing more
than the five in his pack
David, who joined us on weekends,
didn’t smoke
He was a Mexican American who was
a union representative where he worked
He always brought these fresh baked pan
dulce to share with us when he came
When either of us had a hot day at
the track, we’d celebrate with a chile
relleno dinner at Super Burrito
When we had a terrible day—So what
We’d feast on the blues coming from
my auto stereo as we returned home
In addition to going to the races, we
also went to pow wows
We’d eat tacos on fry bread and drink sodas
while watching dancers in Fancy Shawls,
Jingle Dresses, feathered headdresses
and bustles regalia dance on park grass
as drummers sing vocables while beating
on pow wow drum
The prostate cancer Jim suffered
from a decade ago came back
After his funeral his sister gave David
and me plastic bags filled with
his cremated remains
He wanted us to spread his ashes around
the Great Race Place’s sacred grounds
I placed some of his remnants near
the statue of Seabiscuit and on the grass
near the pavilion where he would feed
his winged brothers and sisters
Then I went to a pow wow held
at a state park by Chinatown which
coincidentally was a couple of blocks
from Philippe’s where we often ate
French dipped sandwiches and drank
coffee costing only a dime a cup
At this pow wow when they invited all
the gathering to join the round dance,
I entered the circle
As we orbited on park grass to heartbeat
of pow wow drum, I laid my last of Jim’s ashes
on the holy earth where we were dancing
Every 28 Hours in America
Every 28 hours in America a person of color killed by police
By rough ride in police van, cops break neck of Freddy Gray
Eric Garner murdered by cop chokehold--Justice can’t breathe
Louisville cops during no-knock raid kill Breonna Taylor while asleep
The original warrant did not even have her name
Every 28 hours in America a person of color killed by police
In Minneapolis George Floyd paid for cigarettes with a counterfeit twenty
Being high on drugs was also the claim
And so murdered by cop knee on neck--Justice can’t breathe
For air freshener on rear window, cop kills Daunte Wright accidentally
Also for expired license tags he was made to pay
Every 28 hours in America a person of color killed by police
Minneapolis Cops during no-knock raid kill Amir Locke while asleep
The original warrant did not even have his name
George Floyd murdered by cop knee on neck--Justice can’t breathe
On all counts, Minneapolis jury finds Derek Chauvin guilty
A week later terrified Latino kid killed by cop in dark Chicago alley
Every 28 hours in America a person of color killed by police
This keeps happening and it’s got to stop—Justice can’t breathe
Restaurant Window
Outside window
of trendy bistro
I see destitute
middle aged Latina
looking inside
same window
and watching with
famished eyes
overweight Anglo octogenarian
enjoying
triple jackfruit taco dish
for only $15
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