My Neighborhood by Hyewon Cho

Borders

Just as our pigment
was a barrier,
so was my father’s education,
and we lived in the shadow
between two trees.

For many years,
we were the only dark faces
in the neighborhood,
embraced by some,
shunned by others,

So far from the Eastside,
but near the university
where the hills began,
on the other side
of the tracks far from
the river.

Sometimes Dad would
drive to the barrio,
to a bodega that reminded
him of his mother’s tienda.

An aloe vera plant was nailed
above the doorway
and had survived
for many years
without soil, or water;
they carried Hippo Soda,
which he had enjoyed as a boy,
and pan dulce.

He would make small talk
in Spanish with the proprietor,
but never lingered
because he sensed a divide
even though these were his roots,
su gente.

On, the Westside
he was grudgingly
honored by well-meaning
gringos at literary events:

“Dr. Galván, would your son
like some watermellow?”

“What?”
“Watermellow!”

“I’m sorry….”

“You know, watermelon in Spanish.”

“No, it’s called sandía.”

“No, I’m sure it’s called watermellow.”

“OK….son, have some watermellow.”

It wasn’t always so pleasant;
We were often called
greaser, meskin, wetback, or darky…..
and on the other hand,
pocho, coconut, or Tío Taco (a Mexican Uncle Tom).

A classmate, upon seeing my fair-skinned mother
at a school event proffered:

“Mah Daddy says folks should stick with their own kind,”

I replied, “That’s true.”

About the author:

Robert René Galván, born in San Antonio, resides in New York City where he works as a professional musician and poet. His last collection of poems is entitled, Meteors, published by Lux Nova Press. His poetry was recently featured in Adelaide Literary Magazine, Azahares Literary Magazine, Gyroscope, Hawaii Review, Newtown Review, Panoply, Stillwater Review, West Texas Literary Review, and the Winter 2018 issue of UU World. He is a Shortlist Winner Nominee in the 2018 Adelaide Literary Award for Best Poem. His poetry is included in Undeniable: Writers Respond to Climate Change and in Puro ChicanX Writers of the 21st Century.

In the artist’s words:

Hyewon Cho is a sophomore attending Korean International School in Seoul, South Korea. When she is not making artwork, her hobbies include walking her two-year-old collie and experimenting with old film cameras. She is currently building a portfolio for university.