Arts Alive San Antonio

The poems we are publishing today were inspired by Carretta Wheel from a Tejano Freighter at the Witte Museum.

ADULT WINNERS

Abuelo’s First Job
By Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Along that dusty Mexico trail,
we ate the burro to stay alive.
Papa and Rogelio pushed the carretta
as Sergio and Rosalinda crossed
the leather harness between them
pulling like two skinny ponies.
Catching rain in empty horns,
we shared sips of water,
the river still many days away.
My job was to stay alive
inside Mama’s rebozo.

A Wheelwright
By Milton Jordan

Your grandfather strapped metal rims to wood,
Emiliano, replaced spokes, greased hubs
and took care of repair like an order
for four new wheels. On the temporary axles
he watched every turn and knew the bow
he wanted in each spoke above the metal
rim as it flattened a bit on hard ground.
I took reluctant lessons on lumber
in that shop where Tate’s Garage is now
took most of them to my first sawmill job
when no one needed repaired wagon wheels.