Weekly Poem: A day in the life of Las Cruces

April 01, 2013

Voices, Art / Culture, Poetry

The heat of Las Cruces begins
somewhere
deep in the bones underground,
out near Mt. Robledo and ends
south of the border in the desierto looking
for a
better life.
                   As a kid, Douglas MacArthur
prowled the landscape with his toy
six-guns and mirror shades.

A beat pick-up truck
with Chihuahuan plates plows
through the midday dust
to Airstream heaven. The
Mexican food on Amador Avenue
is a miracle:
Tex-Mex cowboy with
a long history and
curled vaquero boots,
bent over his menudo,
says as much grace as he can
remember. I feel like
a guilty bystander while we both
finish our meals
in peace.




This piece was written by:

John Macker's photo

John Macker

John Macker lives on the Santa Fe Trail in Northern New Mexico. A widely published short story writer and poet for over 30 years, he has won several awards for his work as well as being nominated for 2 Pushcart Prizes. His most recent book of poetry is Underground Sky, (the second volume in the Disassembled Badlands Trilogy). He is also the author of Adventures in the Gun Trade, Woman of the Disturbed Earth and Las Montanas de Santa Fe, among others. His books were featured in the 2009 Colorado Historical Society exhibit, A Mile High and Underground in Denver.

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