Summertime on the stoop
at Grandma’s,
with my cousins,
laughing while
the ice cream truck
music blared.
Get three cones and a chocolate
éclair.
Sometimes,
we spent the whole day
sitting on those stairs.
Grandma in the living room,
watching Telemundo.
Bachata music
playing out
from the second floor.
Pooling all our money together
for some munchies.
Someone,
take a walk with me
to the corner store.
Piling in the car,
now we’re heading
to the beach.
Ice in the cooler,
sitting on the back seat.
Got the
Tony’s Market sandwiches,
ham, lettuce and cheese,
Tony…
get the cat off the meats.
Fridays nights,
feeling the cool breeze
on a full moon,
sometimes your cousins
become your best friends.
Blockbusters
and Domino’s pizza,
served with laughter.
Man, I hope the summer
never comes to an end.
Working in my dad’s store,
stocking the freezers
with Coca Cola.
He told me
every man has to pay his dues.
New mall opens soon.
It’s named Providence Place.
Can’t wait
to go to school,
and show off my new shoes.
Rocky Point Park,
standing on line
for the Freefall.
On the way down,
The wind was heaven’s kiss.
Bitter sweet when we leave,
still reveling in the bliss,
knowing I’ll spend the year
waiting for another moment
like this.
Gonzalez bus trips at six,
give my grandma a kiss.
And now its
back to the Bronx I go.
Rhode Island
don’t forget me
I will be back soon.
And on the day
that I return
I will call you HOME.
Painting by Umberto Crenca, acrylic on canvas, 2023
