the new rumbón
By Tato Laviera
congas congas congas
congas congas congas
desperate hands need a fix from
the healthy skin of the congas
congas the biggest threat to heroin
congas make junkies hands healthier
las venas se curan ligero
con las congas conguito congas
congueros salsa de guarapo
melao azucarero
congas on summer months
take the place of the winter
fire that the wino congregation
seeks, the fire . . .
que calienta los tecatos muertos de
frío en el seno de un verano
congas gather around
con un rumboncito caliente . . .
y ahí vienen los morenos
a gozar con sus flautas y su soul jazz
congas congas
tecata's milk gets warmed
broken veins leave misery
hypodermic needles melt
from the voodoo curse
of the conga madness
the congas clean the gasses
in the air, the congas burn out
everything not natural to our people
congas strong cuchifrito juice
giving air condition to faces
unmolested by the winds and the
hot jungles of loisaida streets
chévere, rumbones, me afectó
me afectó, me afectó, me afectó
chévere rumbones me afectó
Copyright Credit: Tato Laviera, "the new rumbón" from Benedición: The Complete Poetry of Tato Laviera. Copyright © 2014 by Tato Laviera. Reprinted by permission of Arte Público Press.
Source: Benedición: The Complete Poetry of Tato Laviera (Arte Público Press, 2014)