Linda Rodriguez
Poetry
Linda Rodriguez
Biography
Linda Rodriguez is a member of the Latino Writers Collective, founder/coordinator of the annual Kansas City Women Writers Reading Series, a founding board member of The Writers Place, and has published poetry and fiction in numerous literary magazines such as New Letters, New Letters on the Air, Plainswoman, The Kansas City Star, Wheelhouse Magazine, Writers Digest, and Z Miscellaneous, as well as several anthologies. Her chapbook, Skin Hunger (Potpourri Publications, 1995), was named by Michael Bugeja of Writer’s Digest as one of the four top poetry chapbooks of the year. She has also published numerous articles for general and scholarly publications, including three articles on Rudolfo Anaya’s work in the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Hispanic Literature.
Rodriguez is the former Director of the UMKC Women's Center and was a co-convenor of the Women and Environment Caucus at the United Nations international conference, Women 2000: Beijing Plus Five. She is a founder of the University Women’s Leadership Institute and the Missouri Women's Leadership Coalition and serves on a number of community boards. She has a B.A. and an M.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is currently writing a novel about the Vietnam War at home and overseas and a nonfiction book for women on leadership and confidence.
Calaca Comedy Central
In this time of marigolds and mariposas,
calacas, calaveras, and candles everywhere,
in this time when the veil between the worlds,
living and dead, is stretched thinnest,
watch the souls streaming through the tears,
trailing that unnatural chill of Lord Death’s land.
Here he comes himself, skeleton jester,
with crown and scepter to beg
for the taste of mescal and wine and pan muerto.
Dress him up for photos,
Lord Death just bares his teeth
in an everlasting grin and dances,
loose-limbed and clacking, bone on bone,
holding out his sombrero at the end
as he mimics a hacendado’s formal bow.
Who knew he was such a comedian?
All our legends tell a different story,
scary and grim, not this grinning,
fingerbone-snapping prankster.
Who knew he could be so funny,
prancing around in silly costumes,
telling knock, knock jokes,
juggling sugar skulls,
striking ridiculous poses?
Be generous to that hat he passes
when his performance is finished.
No small change or paper bills.
This bony clown performs for one pay only,
a taste of what we take for granted
every day, a mouthful of mole,
a kiss, a look at the sunlight,
a breath of air like sweet wine,
one heartbeat rubbing up against another.
Once a year,
he comes to remind us
that life is a slapstick farce,
and his skeletal leer
is the ultimate punchline.
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