Looking at a Coyote… An Eagle Stares

An Eagle Stares is a short imitation poem that pays homage to Javier Zamora’s poem “Looking at a Coyote”. Zamora’s original poem focused on the aspects of the harsh and unforgiving journey that is crossing the border to the United States. Paying special attention to the “Coyotes”. Guides that help immigrants, leading them through the path that takes them across. While also talking about the harsh reality of the treatment immigrants receive from the journey, the coyotes, and the gringos. These themes were then altered and modified for my imitation poem. Focusing instead on the modern day-to-day routine of a Chicano, noting the discrimination, injustice, and contrast one faces compared to the average American.  

The original poem’s most iconic aspect is its format. Outside of its free verse form, the poem has a very distinct look to the way the lines are placed and organized. With each line alternating from the left to the right side of the page, one in front of the other. This stylistic choice alongside the poem’s main theme, serves to emphasize the idea of the migration journey and the constant walking in the Mexican desert as the poem’s lines mimic footsteps. In order to create an accurate and more importantly, faithful imitation, both the imagery and what it’s meant to represent remain parallel within An Eagle Stares. It instead represents the journey of a Chicano teenager as he walks to school, noting the daily occurrences to happen near or to him. The lines within the poem are also modified to fit within the new context, however the main themes are kept within them. For example within Zamora’s poem the following line exists: “ gringos why do you see us illegal don’t you think / we are the workers around you” (13-14) showcasing the disdain that white Americans hold for Mexicans and other minorities, failing to see the fact that the hard work of immigrants is a crucial part of the economy, and despite their efforts, are still exploited and undervalued. This line changed to fit the context of my poem reads: “ Officer why do you eye me down as I pass by your window are you / appreciating the brown hue we share” (13-14). I wanted to comment on the internal racism that many Mexican immigrants are prone to, and how this behavior and treatment of their own culture leads to Chicanos sharing the same thought process, leading to Hispanics often discriminating against other Hispanics, overall damaging the culture and making us more prone to injustice to those in higher positions of power. Another aspect within his work, Zamora emphasizes the coyote’s Nike shoes. Noting the economic disparity between the coyote and those crossing. I believed those two stanzas to hold significant value within the poem, so I wished to incorporate that same idea within my work, choosing instead to note the principal’s son’s “rubber and steel” shoes, serving as a metaphor for the wheels that his car sits on, noting that the son of a principal would likely be financially well off and as such, be able to afford the luxuries of having his own vehicle. However, the next line shows that the “Farmer’s son” also has rubber and steel shoes, however this is used literally, to describe the work boots he has. Showcasing the financial disparity between the two students, while also alluding to the economic difference between the two ethnic groups. I also wished to further emphasize the subtle Mexican patriotism that lies within the creation of Looking at a Coyote, choosing to incorporate a recurring metaphor within the poem through a golden eagle. Known for being Mexico’s national bird, I chose it to represent Chicano youth, their ongoing struggles, and their search for growth in their new home. 

Overall I loved reading Javier Zamora’s work along with being able to reinterpret his poem with my own imitation. Creating a connection between the treacherous journey that many Mexican immigrants face and the day-to-day struggles that Chicano’s face within the United States, as both face different struggles, but ultimately chase the same goal; a better, more prosperous future.

– Eduardo Ojeda Jr

The Betrayal of Mangos

Throughout this poem, there is the constant comparison between family members and the author in actions that can be done. At first I thought of these comparisons as just simple thoughts, but as I got further one question began to linger, that being is the comparison an outlet for his emotions. The manner in which the pooem is written starts off with proper grammar, but after the second stanza one can see enjambment become the main style of writing. This change in writing style can be a reflection of his emotions getting to him as no longer is there a care for rules, but rather a need to express takes over. This can be seen in how he calmly compares himself to his mother, he does so in a methodical way, in which technique is described, however the moment he compares himself to his father, the methodical nature disappears and is substituted with the actions of a child. This change in nature is what sets up for the emotional ride which this poem begins to esablish, since as the poem progresses the speed at which one reads also quickens. This increase in speed mimics the manner in which kids begin to hyperventilate right before crying. The speed is interrupted with the pause of a dash, just to deliver the line “lie to me. So I can go back” which further cemented the idea that this poem is not just simply writing, but rather a manner in which the speaker can transcend the physical distance that separates him from his motherland. However, as much as he wishes, he will never be able to stop the “mangos from falling six meters down, to where dogs lick what my aunts, Mom, Dad, and I cannot.”

Isaac Ruiz

The main question that I have about your poems would be, do the poems serve as almost like eulogies for the events that you have lived through, since many poems seem to have somber tones such as that of Second Attempt Crossing and Montage with Mangoes, Volcano, and Flooded Streets.

Shut up, Child.

The poem that I found interesting by Javier Zamora is titled “How I Learned to Walk”.
The poem begins with the Spanish word “cállate” which means shut up or be quiet. This sets the tone and establishes that the poem will be provocative for the speaker. At first, I thought the poem might be from the perspective of a dog because of the line, “I piss in the corner,” (line 4). However, the speaker then says he would, “fling rocks / at bats hanging midway up almond trees,” (lines 6-7). So, the speaker must be a young child because hitting animals with rocks and doing impulsive things is something I associate with childhood, especially boyhood. With context, I know this poem’s speaker must be the child version of the poet. I believe there is a tone shift within the poem. It begins with a child remembering their father and the childhood they had. However, it transitions into an adult speaker wondering who their father was and what he was like. The speaker says, “When I clutch my pillows, I think of him. If he sleeps / facedown like I do,” (line 13). This line struck me because clutching something in your sleep means you are stressed, scared, or angry. It is not a positive action. Therefore, the speaker must feel distressed over the questions he has about his dad. He wants to know who he was and in a way, he wants to know more about himself. It must be frustrating for the speaker to have certain traits and wonder if they are his alone or something that was passed to him by his family.

My question: You use “cállate” twice within the poem, but the second usage seemed out of place. What was the intention behind using this word? Was it meant to be an internal thought of the speaker or a way to break the 4th-wall and reach the reader beyond the poem?

By: Tierney Bowden

A great distance

When reading through the various works within Javier Zamora’s Unaccompanied poetry collection the work that held the most impact on me was his poem titled: Then, it Was So. My attention was captivated by the first stanza. “To tell you I was leaving” (Line 1) At first we wonder where it is this character is leaving to, but quickly realize with the context of his other works that this is likely someone preparing for their trip across the border. The character deals with the many anxieties that come with such a dangerous and risky trip. Within the second stanza, we see the longing that leaving your home country causes. While many do seek and receive a better life within the States, it’s hard to say if those benefits outweigh the distance one is from their family. “That dawn, I needed to say / you remind me of my father” (Lines 23-24) This stanza really shows the trend within Hispanic families and the common immigration towards the United States. Highlighting the effect it has on the family that’s left behind, but ultimately becoming a realization point when one recognizes that they too must make the same decision. Javier Zamora’s Then, it Was So showcases the story and struggle shared by many Hispanic families. Giving recognition to the often ignored heavy sacrifices made by these families. The process of immigration is often belittled, but Zamora makes sure that readers are made aware of the various aspects within. The grief and longing caused by the great separation, the danger and risk of the treacherous journey through the grueling and unforgiving desert. As well as the constant fear of having all that sacrifice and work be negated through an unfortunate encounter with I.C.E 

My question is: within the final stanza of this poem, you use an unemptied “Bucket of mosquitoes” as imagery for leaving, why this specific item?

– Eduardo Ojeda Jr

Gun Violence: A Deadly Dance

In Javier Zamora’s poem, “Dancing in Buses”, the enjambment and repetition within the lines create a rhythm fitting for a dance, but the speaker uses these poetic devices to highlight the frequent violence that surrounds them. The poem situation is a person in a bus dancing with moves that are inspired by hispanic culture. A shooting interrupts this dance, and the person hides under a bus seat for protection. Specifically, the speaker tells their audience to “Do the Pupusa- / Clap — finger dough clumps. Clap. / Do the Horchata-Scoop — / your hand’s a ladle, scoop” (lines 12-15). Enjambment connects each line to the next so they flow together the way music does. The pupusa and horchata connect the dance to El Salvador (as well as Spain and Latin America). When people do this dance, their limbs embody these hispanic experiences. The repetition of “clap” and “scoop” adds more rhythm to the lines and emphasizes the connection between the dance moves and foods. The scooping literally mimics the motion of using a ladle. 

Enjambment and repetition are absent in the second stanza. The speaker adopts a more direct, serious tone. By this point, the speaker abandons the rhythm of the previous dance and gives their audience clear instructions like “Drop down. / Look at the ground.” (lines 21-22). The periods at the end of these directions stand out due to the lack of enjambment. These lines have a staccato rhythm due to the punctuation and lack of repetition. Life is drained from this stanza because the words visually and audibly have no more movement. The directions, “Roll over. / Face the mouth of the barrel. / Do the protect-face-with-hand” (lines 23-25) are abrupt in comparison to the flow of the previous stanza. However, the speaker still connects these instructions to the previous dance with the “protect-face” move that is hyphenated as if it is the stomp-and-twist or any ordinary dance move (instead of a precaution in the face of danger). Ultimately, the second stanza is still part of the dance because these are moves that the speaker knows equally well due to their previous experiences with guns. The shooting crosses over from being a disruption to being part of life. The speaker’s fear is evident as they tell their audience “don’t breathe” and “Don’t scream” (lines 19 and 26). These directions contrast the beginning of the poem because the speaker is telling the audience not to do something for the first time. The speaker and audience must fight against natural instincts if they want to survive.

Question for Javier Zamora: How did you decide where to end the enjambment within “Dancing in Buses”? Why not stop the enjambment when the shooting first begins?

~Miki Chroust

Adopted Country

The poem that stood out to me the most was, Citizenship. Javier Zamora’s poem explores the sense of belonging as well as undocumented immigrants. Zamora starts the poem off by describing his early memories of crossing the border with his mom and siblings. As well as the sense of foreboding that accompanied their journey. The repetition of “we shook” emphasizes the physical and emotional toll of the journey and the term “dared” can imply a certain recklessness or defiance in the face of danger. 

As the poem continues Zamora reflects on the contradictory nature of his identity, he talks about the feeling between both worlds. Firstly being unable to belong in either his ancestral home or his “adopted” country. The imagery that is used is evocative as Zamora describes the way that they “see through mud and steel” and “gather food like horses”, which can suggest animalistic quality to the immigrant experience. Throughout the poem, Zamora emphasizes recurring motifs and symbols, including fences, water, and fire. These images are used to emphasize the stress in the relationship between immigrants as well as the society that they’d like to join. It appears that water signifies both the treacherous journey of migration as well as the difficult process of fully understanding the ideas. Fire can symbolize destruction and renewal, suggesting a more transformative power in the immigrant experience. 

My question for Zamora is how do you keep connecting with your culture even though you’re in America as well if it is something that you struggle with what do you do to help adjust?

Yue Wu-Jamison

The jouney has just begun

In Cassette Tape, This poem is about starting  his journey to cross Mexico to get to Oaxaca. It leads to talking about the conditions ut was ike traveling such length and how they were betrayed by a setup ambush causing them to get robbed and without money it made the journey even harder and had to search for another option until they found one. There is some sort of shift in the poem and talks about the people hes leaving behind but also the people that let him behind and saying farewells to some family members. This seems to be some sort of back and fourth in his mind based on deciding what deacisons he should take like marry for papers. This poem goes back again into the past before he had started his journey of crossing and nervous to even go but since his parents had already set it up he had to go despite just wanting to rest. The next part of this poem is him saying he knows that everyone is sayin he dosent need much but he wishes he could have things that provided him confort but hes told he needs just enough to survive. Shedding light on all the death aroind him and the way he could get killed just by having a tatoo or being percieved in a certain way but despite it all just waiting to get to his parents. The poem again fast forwards anf hes home with his parents while they apologize for leaving him behind while leading to the reuinion.

My question is do the >>> and <<< signifify gooing from the past to present and was it hard for you to forgive your parents for leaving and were you able to visit your ffamily memebers that did not travel with you?

Victoria Sasere

Survival Instincts

One of Javier Zamora’s poems that stood out to me was called Saguaros. Saguaros are cactus that are native to the United States and Mexico. The cactus also blossoms many white flowers and tends to only open up for pollination for 24 hours. Furthermore, I thought this poem portrayed challenges that Zamora was experiencing through his journey of crossing the US Border, most importantly survival instincts. On the first and second lines it first describes the sky in a settling night, it states, “It was dusk for kilometers and bats in the lavender sky, like spiders when a fly is caught, began to appear.” These two lines were referring to bats as being compared to spiders catching their prey. In other words, the sky was very captivating in the many shades of purple that the sky had suddenly appeared in that shade. On the third and fourth lines it states, “And there, not the promised land, but barbwire and barbwire with nothing growing under it. I tried to fly that dusk,” in which the poet is referring to the USA as the “promised land”. In addition, barbwires were used repeatedly onto the same line to add emphasis on the obstacle at hand, that is the border’s hostility. 

To add on, up to these couple of lines, I noticed the syntax the poet had used, there were many indents that indicated pausing to really grasp the reader’s attention and focusing on the poet’s challenges. For example, lines five through eight are in continuation on line four, it states “after a bat said la sangre del saguaro nos seduce. Sometimes I wake and my throat is dry, so I drive to botanical gardens to search for red fruit clutched to saguaros, the ones at dusk I threw rocks at for the sake of slashing hunger” (5-8). “La sangre del saguaro nos seduce” is translated to “The saguaro’s blood seduces us” in which this particular bat can speak such words as a predatory instinct, describing the red fruit as blood. Aside from this, I had also done some research and found out that botanical gardens are, I believe, located in Arizona which is a desert full of plants and wildlife. Furthermore, the poet is faced with an issue of extreme thirst that he admits throwing rocks at saguaros out of starvation. I certainly could not imagine how brutal the conditions of health had impacted someone, especially a nine year old boy, having to face many obstacles, risking his life to make a better one out of it. In addition it states, “for water, then spotlights drove me and thirty others dashing into palos verdes, green-striped trucks surrounded us” (13-4). Zamora, along with many others, had little to do with the consumption of water from the saguaro, spotlights had evaded, which can be symbolized as la migra. I thought that the survival instinct in these lines demonstrates that food and water became almost unimportant at that moment, running away became a necessity in order to get to the promised land. 

Question for Javier Zamora: Does the structures of your poems have a significant influence on the poems’ meanings?

Celeste Tejeda-Menera

The Criminal as the Hero

  Javier Zamora’s “Second Attempt Crossing” from his book “Unaccompanied” reflects on the experience of a young immigrant (Zamora himself) crossing the border to the United States and being saved by a stranger who goes by the name of Chino. Zamora relies on imagery, symbolism, and an appreciative tone to vividly interpret his message to his audience and make it evident who this poem is directly for.

    The speaker from the beginning of the poem makes it obvious to his readers that this poem is ‘for Chino’ (Zamora, Title) He makes it clear that Chino holds significance within the poem as well by mentioning his name multiple times throughout the poem in the title, line 15, and line 19.  Also, Zamora utilizes imagery to share the setting where the experience took place which is “in the middle of the desert that didn’t look like sand and sand only.” (Zamora, Line 1) What does the setting interpret? Well, describes where the speaker is during that moment which seems that he’s by the US Border. How is it known? After the short description of the setting, “someone yelled, ‘¡La Migra!’” (Zamora, Line 5). “La Migra” is a Spanish term often used to name the US Border Patrol Agents. By mentioning “La Migra” it makes it more evident that the speaker is close to the border and is doing it illegally implying he is an immigrant. Zamora continues to use imagery to vividly describe the experience of the speaker. “In that dried creek where forty of us slept, we turned to each other, and you flew from my side in the dirt.” (Zamora, Line 6-8) This indicates the reader wasn’t alone, but with a group of other people prepared to cross before they were caught, in this group of people, there was a ‘you”. Who was this “you” the speaker brings up? It’s Chino. Zamora continues with, “Black-throated sparrows and dawn hitting the tops of mesquites, against herd of legs” (Zamora, Line 9-11). This conveys that this event takes place at dawn.  By vividly describing this whole experience with imagery, Zamora gives readers the indication that this isn’t just any story, it is a memory that hasn’t been forgotten, likely due to trauma.

   Crossing the board is a challenge. I haven’t experienced it myself, but I do have relatives that have, and from their stories, they’ve had similar experiences to what this poem illustrates. Most of these experiences take place in the desert and by the border. Like the speaker, most immigrants come in groups of people and ages vary from very young children to elderly people. When it comes to finding and catching these groups, US Border Patrol can be quite brutal, sometimes killing them or leaving them in overcrowded detention centers. The brutality these agents give is stated in the next lines of Zamora’s poem, “You spirited towards me, I jumped on your shoulders, and we ran from the white trucks, then their guns.” (Zamora, Line 12-14). These lines demonstrate that these men are literally running for their lives, this includes the speaker, and from the looks of it, seems like a child or someone who has a bigger disadvantage compared to the rest of the group. Chino chooses to not leave him behind and protect him from these Border Patrol Agents and their guns. The speaker continues by stating, “So I wouldn’t touch their legs that kicked you, you pushed me under your chest, and I’ve never thanked you.” (Zamora, Line 16-18). This is clearly abuse coming from the US Border Patrol Agents.

  This type of behavior would not be allowed if a police officer or another type of government official did this to someone from the United States it would be considered “inhumane” and “abusive”. There is a sense of dehumanization happening in the scene between Chino and the Border Patrol because they are physically beating him for being a foreigner.  This situation becomes very ironic after the speaker provides little background information about Chino. “Beautiful Chino–the only name I know to call you by— farewell your tattooed chest: the M, the S, the 13. Farwell the phone number you gave me when you went east Virginia, and I went west to San Francisco.” (Zamora, Lines 19-25). What does the tattooed chest symbolize? MS13 stands for Mara Salvatrucha 13 an international criminal gang. This indicates that Chino was acquainted with the Mafia. What’s its significance? It’s ironic how a gang member is willing to save a young boy’s life, while US government officials who are hired to “protect” pulled out their guns, and their intent was to try to hurt the speaker, a young boy. This poem was Zamora’s gesture for thanking Chino. The tone provided demonstrates that the speaker highly appreciates Chino’s help and since then hasn’t forgotten about it. even after he was found by the gang he ran from in San Salvadora according to lines 27 and 28. There is some sorrow within the tone, but at the same time great respect towards Chino as an individual, who though is a criminal through his gang affiliation, is also a hero for saving a young boy. The speaker didn’t differentiate him because of his background which I thought was very affectionate and quite sad because he didn’t get to see Chino in person since that experience. This is my overall interpretation of the poem, “Second Attempt Crossing” by Javier Zamora.

-Claudia Dominguez

Question for Javier Zamora: While reading “Second Attempt Crossing” I noticed a couple literary devices that were present throughout the poem, mostly imagery, but also some symbolism that connected to Chino’s background. This made me come up with the question when integrating figurative language into your poems, do you plan out what literary devices you’re going to use or do they just spontaneously appear as you write and you go with the flow?

Crossing Deserts

Let Me Try Again

I could bore you with the sunset, the way water tasted

     after so many days without it, 

                                                     the trees,

the breed of dogs, but I can’t say 

                                                    there were forty people

when we found the ranch with the thin white man, 

           his dogs, 

                          and his shotgun. 

Until this 5 a.m. I couldn’t remember

                           there were only five, 

or seven people—

We’d separated by the paloverdes.

      We, meaning: 

                             four people. Not forty. 

The rest. . . 

     I don’t know. 

                            They weren’t there 

when the thin white man 

                                         let us drink from a hose

while pointing his shotgun. 

                                             In pocho Spanish he told us

si correr perros atacar.

                                      If run dogs trained attack.

When La Migra arrived, an officer 

     who probably called himself Hispanic at best,

not Mejicano like we called him, said 

                                                      buenas noches

     and gave us pan dulce y chocolate. 

Procedure says he should’ve taken us 

     back to the station, 

checked our fingerprints, 

                                             etcétera. 

He must’ve remembered his family 

      over the border, 

or the border coming over them, 

     because he drove us to the border 

and told us 

    next time, rest at least five days, 

don’t trust anyone calling themselves coyotes, 

      bring more tortillas, sardines, Alhambra. 

He knew we would try again 

      and again,

                       like everyone does. 

In the poem “Let Me Try Again”, Javier Zamora appears to be writing about the first occurrence of trying to cross the border and escape through the desert. He continuously mentions how little people there were. It is mentioned that there “were only five or seven people” (line 10-11) and specifically how, gradually, there were less and less people. “Four people. Not forty” (line 14). This reference to a small number of people, and gradually less and less people than they started with, may be an indication of the people that were lost along the way when crossing the border and or the desert. Whether they were killed by La Migra or they simply didn’t make it with the rest along the way through the desert, people were being lost throughout the journey. Eventually, when an officer of La Migra arrived, he did not follow procedure. Procedure says that he should have “taken [them] back to the station, checked [their] fingerprints, etcetera” (line 29-32). The officer did not do this though, instead he drove them back to the border and gave them advice on getting rest, who not to trust, and what foods and water they should bring “next time”. The speaker believes that he did not follow procedure out of empathy. The officer, also Mexican or Hispanic, may have “remembered his family over the border, or the border coming over them” (line 33-35). So instead of following procedure, he may have felt a sense of empathy and drove them to the border, to give them another chance. He did not leave them without the advice though as he knew there would be a next time, as they would “try again and again” (line 41-42) to cross the desert and escape. 

Sarah Rix

Question for Javier Zamora: Are the physical structures and interesting indenting of the sentences in multiple of your poems, for example in your poem “Let Me Try Again”, meant to have a specific meaning to compliment the poem?