TO THE TIGER (FOR AARON)
by Oswaldo Vargas
I got far in the pilgrimage
toward the equator
that browned you.
The next one will finish it
and pose for pictures.
He too will count the keloids
on your back, big and small,
like blessings.
NOBLE HOUSE OF SALAZAR
by Oswaldo Vargas
He gets me a beer
halfway through it,
I unravel.
mistake mistake
ohgodmistake
The waitress asks if I'm ok
how do i say that I hope he knows my weight
before the night is done?
He can sell my bones when he's done with me
and I'd still ask which one fetched more money
He drops me off
but i still pretend my steps lead up
to his family home
A spot in the hallway,
reserved for the portrait of his bride
mount me on a wall
call me a success.
About the author
Oswaldo Vargas is a former farmworker, a graduate from the University of California, Davis and a 2021 Undocupoets Fellow. Anthology features include Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color and Puro Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century. His work can also be seen in The Louisville Review, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, Huizache, West Trade Review, Narrative (upcoming) and the Green Mountains Review tribute issue to former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera (among others). He lives and dreams in Sacramento, California.