Hombre del Pueblo
your uniform hangs
a specter in the closet
ready to be ironed and worn
soiled and flung back in
with the other
workers garments
nearby our daughter
plays by your torn shoes
manipulating dolls and blocks
singing her singular version
of a lullaby unaware
of the ruptured family
routine of breaking bread
in the morning and evening
shadows of the unseen
costs hours in the heat
of a new religion biblical
and constant toiling for a mission
yet to be won for winners
yet to be sprung
victory songs
yet to be
should we survive
the truth and the lies
years later I may attempt
to describe her migrant laugh
how it rings and rises
while you are gone a wonder
elusive to numbers and facts
never to be tamed
a wonder
never to be
• • •
Eneida P. Alcalde (she/her/ella) immigrated to the United States as a child, transplanting her Chilean-Puerto Rican roots into Pennsylvanian soil. A Pushcart Prize-nominated writer, she is the poetry editor for Oyster River Pages and a reader for Epiphany. Her work has recently appeared in Pirene’s Fountain, Poet Lore, Salamander, and The Best American Poetry series. Eneida draws inspiration for her writing from her migrant family and ancestors, her young daughter, and the places she has called home—from Valparaíso and Cochabamba to Washington, DC, and Singapore. Her debut poetry chapbook,The Wealth We Surrendered, was published by Ethel. Learn more at www.eneidaescribe.com and follow her on Instagram @eneidaescribe.