Rinconcito is a special little corner in Somos en escrito for short writings: a single poem, a short story, a memoir, flash fiction, and the like. Two poems by Vincent CooperVeterano Before the election I saw Chicano veterans holding up Vote for Trump Signs outside of schools And libraries. Some Veteranos Don’t know they’re Chicano, They want that towering wall Dividing America and Mexico To smite gay pride and the rainbow flag. Trump-sates the blood-thirsty hate from within The void of my father Was filled by a Veterano, Who in 1967 (Dropping out of Brackenridge High School) Heard the war song of A westside Marine Corps Recruiter. “Go defend our country son make Uncle Sam proud. Don’t worry about a High School Diploma, You’ve got the Viet Cong to think about. You’ll be physically fit, cock strong, in your dress blues All these westside chicks are gonna want to fuck you You’ll have medals pinned on your chest, a career as a cook or custodian Benefits with a steady paycheck, a cheap little house with an iron fence C’mon be a real man with a rifle in your hands And tell them all, later on, about the young heroes of war Jungle sounds, Khe San and how things were in’ Nam. Vietnamese rats Chasing like rabid dogs So large you couldn’t swallow Shooting women And children Coming back To be a Little League coach For your kids- A hero? A patriot? Wearing a red and gold cover That reads: 1967-1969 Reconnaissance USMC Raising a Devil Dog flag in the front yard Next to an American flag. Everyone driving by knows where you stand. Who you are A Veterano What you did For this country That is not yours A dream you’re not in. A Real Marine You’re a marine? Thank you for your service is physically fit, says OORAH when they see another marine, has American pride, honors the eagle, globe and anchor, has a bulldog named Chesty, tells war stories, while polishing his medals, banks with USAA, psycho tough, ready to kill, never hesitates, knows martial arts like Chuck Norris, is an alcoholic with a side chick, has PTSD, a racist in denial, attends air shows with the silent drill platoon. A real marine says this country has gone to shit, doesn’t want to die, because their grandson is gay, on the flip, he wants gays in the military to serve as bullet-catchers. A real marine gets shafted by the corps, years later, thankless service, wearing a red cover, USMC t-shirt, won’t stop until the job is done, flashbacks, hates Asians, haircut high n’ tight, originally from Parris Island, is sometimes a tio taco, not that amphibious, a cock boy in dress uniform, marching at grocery stores. A real marine trains people of color to kill people of color. A United States fucking Marine, trained to kill anyone, anything, even himself. I didn’t go to war. ![]() Vincent Cooper is the author of Zarzamora – Poetry of Survival and Where the Reckless Ones Come to Die. His poems can be found in Huizache 6 and Huizache 8, Riversedge Journal, and Latino Literatures. Cooper was selected to the Macondo Writer’s Workshop in 2015. He currently resides in the southside of San Antonio, Texas.
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María Lysandra Hernández is a BA Writing, Literature and Publishing student with a minor in Global and Post-colonial Studies at Emerson College. She is currently the Head of Writing at Raíz Magazine, Emerson College’s bilingual and Latinx publication. For more poetry, you can find her on instagram at @marialysandrahern. |
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