Who Welcomed Raul?

in memory of raulrsalinas

Who welcomed Raul
when he finally reached
those sandy shores

after having endured
that desert of a sea,
no water to drink,

not even the occasional
rain shower or vicious storm,
after having left

the Southside of Austin
on the pilgrimage
which all of us must undertake,

but which none of us can go there
having accumulated
as much unselfish work as Raul,

because most of us
only worry about ourselves,
it’s always me, me, me?

It’s only about others
when the benefits
are laid out beforehand.

Who welcomed Raul
when he finally reached
those sandy shores?

Well, I have no doubt
that Cecilio was there,
and Lalo, and Ricardo, and Trini,

and that they talked forever
on that beautiful beach,
not in language but in poetry.