Gregory Gumbs – Ⅰ
The Little White Boy
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember how she had to leave her kids in the care of others,
in order to arrive early each morning just to take care of you?
Will you remember the stories and the sweet, sweet songs
she taught you and sang for you in Spanish?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember her kind and gentle ways, when
you happen to fall down or when something upset you?
Will you remember how she cleaned you when messed, or
peed in your diaper or in your
very expensive underwear?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
Will you remember how she took you to the park, which you liked
nearly every day and how she patiently taught you how to play, all
the while thinking and worrying about her own kids?
Will you remember how she quite often rocked you to sleep in her lap
even though she was completely exhausted?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your sweet Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember that she also had suenos* and esperanzas** for the future?
Will you be able to remember that what she truly wanted was a chance,
if not for herself, then for her kids and not
some so-called opportunity, which in the end turns out to be
nothing more than a mirage
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you grow up someday to understand that all of this magical land
intimately bordering on the Pacific Ocean, once belonged to a long
line of her forefathers
That all of it was stolen from them under some false and phony pretense of aggression and war?
Will you grow up and learn to respect her culture,
her beautiful stories,
her poetic language?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Or did the larger society already indicate to you that her only purpose
and value was taking care of you, Little White Boy?
*suenos is ‘dreams’ in Spanish.
**esperanzas is ‘hopes’.
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember how she had to leave her kids in the care of others,
in order to arrive early each morning just to take care of you?
Will you remember the stories and the sweet, sweet songs
she taught you and sang for you in Spanish?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember her kind and gentle ways, when
you happen to fall down or when something upset you?
Will you remember how she cleaned you when messed, or
peed in your diaper or in your
very expensive underwear?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
Will you remember how she took you to the park, which you liked
nearly every day and how she patiently taught you how to play, all
the while thinking and worrying about her own kids?
Will you remember how she quite often rocked you to sleep in her lap
even though she was completely exhausted?
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your sweet Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you remember that she also had suenos* and esperanzas** for the future?
Will you be able to remember that what she truly wanted was a chance,
if not for herself, then for her kids and not
some so-called opportunity, which in the end turns out to be
nothing more than a mirage
Little White Boy
Little White Boy
What will you remember of your Latina Caretaker
when you grow up?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Will you grow up someday to understand that all of this magical land
intimately bordering on the Pacific Ocean, once belonged to a long
line of her forefathers
That all of it was stolen from them under some false and phony pretense of aggression and war?
Will you grow up and learn to respect her culture,
her beautiful stories,
her poetic language?
What will your society allow you to remember of her, Little White Boy?
Or did the larger society already indicate to you that her only purpose
and value was taking care of you, Little White Boy?
*suenos is ‘dreams’ in Spanish.
**esperanzas is ‘hopes’.
