LatinosUSA

SPANISH HARLEM

The number 6 line
carves righteously through
116th and Lexington Avenue:
El Barrio.
Red beans,
Medalla Light.
Tito Puente on a distorted speaker.
Dominoes.
Cardboard shoes
dancing on the cracks
from where no water rises.
Tenements,
Sirens,
The only melody freely proffered
By the city.
Gun versus gun.
Police sort them out
according to their accent.
Red, white and blue
in shades and different patterns.
Smoke spears through
The shadows of the tunnels.
The train pulls in
The weight of dreams
Spills out.

(Francisco Bravo Cabrera, Valencia, 2 de junio de 2026)