My Next Door Neighbor

[Dominique Gonzalez]

When I was younger my next door neighbor and I were inseparable

She was an older woman with many, many children

A wise, strong and beautiful soul

She taught me how to speak, how to cook, how to dance, how to pray, how to love

There wasn't a river wide enough to keep us apart

When I would cry she held me in her arms and sang to me

Ay, ay, ay, ay, canta y no llores

But as I grew up the winds of change began to blow

Strange things began to happen in my neighbor's house

Gunshots, loud screams, frequent visits from the police

My parents forbade me from going over anymore

Then came the fence

An expensive, tall iron fence was built between our houses

The screams, gunshots and police sirens only got louder though

Everyone taught me to ignore the never ending suffering on the other side of the fence

Life went on in the neighborhood...

But one day her dog escaped into our yard through a small hole in the expensive fence

It was a sorry excuse for a dog

A brown uncombed coat hardly hid its protruding ribs, and his eyes spoke of sadness

I wanted to adopt it, but the police came and forced the dog back where it belonged

I peered through the hole in the fence the next day

There was my neighbor's dirty, brown yard that looked nothing like it used to

And when I poked my head through the hole I caught sight of my neighbor

My heart dropped

There was she was, Mexico

Beat up, disheveled, head hung low.

I didn't know who she was anymore

But I crossed over, held her in my arms like she used to hold me, and sang

Ay, ay, ay, ay, canta y no llores

 

 

[Samantha Rae Gonzalez]

I love this. I will be posting this link on my facebook so everyone can see this wonderful poem that you wrote .

[Marisol Guzman]

OMG DOM!! This is truly award winning :) You should keep publishing this poem anywhere possible!!

[Dominique Gonzalez]

Thank you everyone:)

[Alicia]

I love this! You put what we are all feeling in beautiful words.

[Cerese Racquel Williams]

 This is good