Legacy II
Leroy V. Quintana
Grandfather never went to school
spoke only a few words of English
a quiet man; when he talked
talked about simple things
planting corn or about the weather
sometimes about herding sheep as a child
One day pointed to the four directions
taught me their names
El Norte
Poniente
Oriente
El Sur
He spoke their names as if they were
one of only a handful of things
a man needed to know
Now I look back
only two generations removed
realize I am nothing but a poor fool
who went to college
trying to find my way back
to the center of the world
where Grandfather stood
that day
Click here to navigate through the poems: The Courage That My Mother Had, Legacy II and Homework.
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