As I walk through La Plaza Vieja
As I walk through la plaza vieja,
Albuquerque, New Mexico,
I remember all the plazas
I’ve seen in Mexico and Spain.
This time I stroll back
through the ephemeral light
of history bent by time,
and cross busy Lomas,
New York Avenue
as it was called back then.
It was a dirt road. Buried
voices push up through earth,
pavement, and concrete.
The ghosts of homes
linger in the silent walls
of shops and restaurants
where tourists enjoy
a sense of the distant past.
On the back streets
you will still find old timers
who live and work here…