rainstorms on a sunny day
short lines at the post office
homemade lemonade & fresh
squeezed orange juice
open til 3am bodegas
and 99cent stores where
everything costs ….. 99 cents
light & flaky buttery croissants
straight outta the oven
coin laundromats with free WiFi
where strangers do not remove
my clothes from the dryer
paperless statements &
free online banking
grateful I am for
double dark chocolate gelato
with extra whipped cream
cash reward credit cards
and atm fee reimbursed checking accounts
frozen ring dings
and no sugar cashew milk
fair trade and ethically sourced
Nigerian shea butter
the last ripened avocado
sitting in my fruit bowl
grateful I am for
hair school salons
with saturday hours
& $9 haircuts
non-stop flights
with sleeping babies
& tasty, healthy meal options
unlimited cell phone plans
under $50 & no dropped calls
DMV locations with short wait times
and friendly agents
high altitude mountain hikes
in the Andes
grateful I am for
the welcome cabeceo
at the milonga’s last tanda
drivers who use
their turn signals
mindfulness meditation
and donation based yoga
I am the most grateful for
the laughter of children
the smile of a stranger
birds singing outside my bedroom window
my nephew for teaching me what
unconditional love looks like
overcoming my childhood shyness
showing compassion to myself and others
recovery from a heartbreaking divorce
holding myself accountable for my words and actions
Lolita Lebron
Rafael Cancel Miranda
Blanca Canales
Don Pedro Albizu Campos
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos
Oscar López Rivera
Daisy Sánchez
María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón
all past, present and future
Independentistas
who believe in a
Free & Sovereign Puerto Rico
always grateful I am for
having courage to leave
the 8-5 corporate grind
those positive, supportive, loving
friends and family members
especially my benevolent ancestors
all who guide, nurture and strengthen me
to the Universe
for my every breath
for each opportunity
to make our world just a little bit sweeter
