American Journeys::Jornadas Americanas

                                                         

                                        ... la sangre 
                                          no es sueño 
                                           y la lucha 
                                              se hace 
                                        en todo sitio 
                                   donde la humanidad 
                                            co-existe 
                                          con ideales 
                                         honestos ...

                                           Raza moves 
                                      within memories 
                               confronting racism ... 
                                   Fac Lounge/CUO-WSU 
                                           24 Feb 94


     Canción Chiapaneka
              a EZLN ...¡y que!

                  1.
                       Maya Quiché, Tzotzil, 
                       Isla Tortuga torturada, 
                       the freedom outcry 
                       bursting through 
                       a Chiapas florid 
                       sings combustible 
                       arms arriving again 
                       at Zapata's liberational 
                       thrust, ay, Pueblo 
                       Indígena, weaving
                       new odes to civilization's 
                       historic expressiveness ...  

                  2.
                       Chiapas moves 
                       within Zapatista logic, 
                       creating piercing demands 
                       arising machete-like 
                       from jungles striking 
                       at D.F. jugulars, 
                       moral outrage 
                       serenades the Américas, 
                       even as U.S. soldiers 
                       and Chinook heli-
                       copters train
                       machine guns 
                       across the Guatemala-
                       Chiapas borders 
                       attempting to terrify 
                       Mother Earth's caretakers ...

                  3.      
                       Kukulkan plants maiz bullets 
                       to be reaped
                       by the Sun's children 
                       arising from Mexican loam, 
                       ready to reclaim 
                       Quetzal poems of liberation, 
                       the clarion peals
                       its canto
                       as ocelotl warriors 
                       resurrect the dream, 
                       ay, Pueblos Netos, the canto 
                       resonates freedom, 
                       again reminding
                       our mutual humanity
                       that freedom is that
                       which struggle creates ... 

                  4.
                       o Chiapas, your jungle floors
                       and Mayan eyes
                       do pierce into our mindsouls, 
                       and some of us do celebrate 
                       the courage of your will 
                       to stand against
                       the force of governments, 
                       we dance to you, dear Pueblo,
                       we sing you songs of love, 
                       our poems are but the words 
                       inspired by your courage ...
                         ¡que viva
                           el Ejército Zapatista
                           de Liberación Nacional! 

                  5.
                       el Jefe Emiliano rides again, 
                       dear Chiapas, in the campesino 
                       indígena corazón latiendo 
                       with joy and righteous anger, 
                       the world again stands awed 
                       by humble people arising 
                       to reclaim their earth ...