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<font size=3>Pedro Pietri sources:<br>
<a href="http://www.nuyorican.org/Indexart/pedrofund.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.nuyorican.org/Indexart/pedrofund.html</a><br><br>
<a href="http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=664" eudora="autourl">http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=664<br><br>
<br>
</a></font><font face="arial" size=2>Nuyorican poet Pedro Pietri, while
flying back to New York in an air ambulance on March 1, has passed away.
El Reverendo de La Iglesia de Tomates, the Spanglish Metaphor Consultant
of the Latin Insomniacs Motorcycle Club Without Motorcycles, the Poet
Laureate of the Young Lords Party and author of Puerto Rican Obituary,
one of the most important pieces of work in the Nuyorican literary canon,
had been in Playas de Tijuana, Mexico for the past six weeks undergoing
alternative treatment for stomach cancer.<br>
<br>
Pedro Pietri visited several times Michigan and performed his poetry with
the Detroit community in Casa de Unidad's Front Room Gallery.<br>
<br>
As a Nuyorican, I mourn the loss of this powerful voice that captured an
urban experience so many of my family and contemporaries shared. <br>
<br>
Pedro Pietri, presente! Ana <br>
<br>
Puerto Rican Obituary<br>
<br>
By Pedro Pietri<br>
<br>
<br>
They worked<br>
They were always on time<br>
They were never late<br>
They never spoke back when they were insulted<br>
They worked<br>
They never took days off that were not on the
calendar<br>
They never went on strike without permission<br>
They worked ten days a week and were only paid for
five<br>
They worked They worked<br>
They worked and they died<br>
They died broke<br>
They died owing<br>
They died never knowing<br>
what the front entrance<br>
of the first national city bank looks like<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
Olga<br>
Manuel<br>
All died yesterday today<br>
and will die again tomorrow<br>
passing their bill collectors<br>
on to the next of kin<br>
All died<br>
waiting for the garden of eden<br>
to open up again<br>
under a new management<br>
All died dreaming about america<br>
waking them up in the middle of the night<br>
screaming: Mira Mira<br>
your name is on the winning lottery ticket<br>
for one hundred thousand dollars<br>
All died<br>
hating the grocery stores<br>
that sold them make-believe steak<br>
and bullet-proof rice and beans<br>
All died<br>
waiting dreaming and hating<br>
<br>
Dead Puerto Ricans<br>
Who never knew they were Puerto Ricans<br>
Who never took a coffee break<br>
from the ten commandments<br>
to KILL KILL KILL<br>
the landlords of their cracked skulls<br>
and communicate with their latino souls<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
Olga<br>
Manuel<br>
From the nervous breakdown streets<br>
where the mice live like millionaires<br>
and the people do not live at all<br>
are dead and were never alive<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
died waiting for his number to hit<br>
Miguel<br>
died waiting for the welfare check<br>
to come and go and come again<br>
Milagros<br>
died waiting for her ten children<br>
to grow up and work so she could quit working<br>
Olga died<br>
waiting for a five dollar raise<br>
Manuel died<br>
waiting for his supervisor to drop dead<br>
so he could get a promotion<br>
<br>
Is a long ride<br>
from Spanish Harlem<br>
to long island cemetery<br>
where they were buried<br>
First the train<br>
and then the bus<br>
and the cold cuts for lunch<br>
and the flowers<br>
that will be stolen<br>
when visiting hours are over<br>
Is very expensive<br>
Is very expensive<br>
But they understand<br>
Their parents understood<br>
Is a long non-profit ride<br>
from Spanish Harlem<br>
to long~sland cemetery<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
Olga<br>
Manuel<br>
All died yesterday today<br>
and will die again tomorrow<br>
Dreaming<br>
Dreaming about queens<br>
Clean-cut lily-white neighborhood<br>
Puerto Ricanless scene<br>
Thirty-thousand-dollar home<br>
The first spics on the block<br>
Proud to belong to a community<br>
of gringos who want them lynched<br>
Proud to be a long distance away<br>
from the sacred phrase: Que Pasa<br>
<br>
These dreams<br>
These empty dreams<br>
from the make-believe bedrooms<br>
their parents left them<br>
are the after-effects<br>
of television programs<br>
about the ideal<br>
white american family<br>
with black maids<br>
and latino janitors<br>
who are well train<br>
to make everyone<br>
and their bill collectors<br>
laugh at them<br>
and the people they represent<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
died dreaming about a new car<br>
Miguel<br>
died dreaming about new anti-poverty programs<br>
Milagros<br>
died dreaming about a trip to Puerto Rico<br>
Olga<br>
died dreaming about real jewelry<br>
Manuel<br>
died dreaming about the irish sweepstakes<br>
<br>
They all died<br>
like a hero sandwich dies<br>
in the garment district<br>
at twelve o'clock in the afternoon<br>
social security number to ashes<br>
union dues to dust<br>
<br>
They knew<br>
they were born to weep<br>
and keep the morticians employed<br>
as long as they pledge allegiance<br>
to the flag that wants them destroyed<br>
They saw their names listed<br>
in the telephone directory of destruction<br>
They were train to turn<br>
the other cheek by newspapers<br>
that mispelled mispronounced<br>
and misunderstood their names<br>
and celebrated when death came<br>
and stole their final laundry ticket<br>
<br>
They were born dead<br>
and they died dead<br>
<br>
Is time<br>
to visit sister lopez again<br>
the number one healer<br>
and fortune card dealer<br>
in Spanish Harlem<br>
She can communicate<br>
with your late relatives<br>
for a reasonable fee<br>
Good news is guaranteed<br>
<br>
Rise Table Rise Table<br>
death is not dumb and disable<br>
Those who love you want to know<br>
the correct number to play<br>
Let them know this right away<br>
Rise Table Rise Table<br>
death is not dumb and disable<br>
Now that your problems are over<br>
and the world is off your shoulders<br>
help those who you left behind<br>
find financial peace of mind<br>
<br>
Rise Table Rise Table<br>
death is not dumb and disable<br>
If the right number we hit<br>
all our problems will split<br>
and we will visit your grave<br>
on every legal holiday<br>
Those who love you want to know<br>
the correct number to play<br>
Let them know this right away<br>
We know your spirit is able<br>
Death is not dumb and disable<br>
RISE TABLE RISE TABLE<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
Olga<br>
Manuel<br>
All died yesterday today<br>
and will die again tomorrow<br>
Hating fighting and stealing<br>
broken windows from each other<br>
Practicing a religion without a roof<br>
The old testament<br>
The new testament<br>
according to the gospel<br>
of the internal revenue<br>
the judge and jury and executioner<br>
protector and eternal bill collector<br>
<br>
Secondhand shit for sale<br>
Learn how to say Como Esta Usted<br>
and you will make a fortune<br>
They are dead<br>
They are dead<br>
and will not return from the dead<br>
until they stop neglecting<br>
the art of their dialogue<br>
for broken english lessons<br>
to impress the mister goldsteins<br>
who keep them employed<br>
as lavaplatos porters messenger boys<br>
factory workers maids stock clerks<br>
shipping clerks assistant mailroom<br>
assistant, assisant assistant<br>
to the assistant's assistant<br>
assistant lavaplatos and automatic<br>
artificial smiling doormen<br>
for the lowest wages of the ages<br>
and rages when you demand a raise<br>
because is against the company policy<br>
to promote SPICS SPICS SPICS<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
died hating Miguel because Miguel's<br>
used car was in better running condition<br>
than his used car<br>
Miguel<br>
died hating Milagros because Milagros<br>
had a color television set<br>
and he could not afford one yet<br>
Milagros<br>
died hating Olga because Olga<br>
made five dollars more on the same job<br>
Olga<br>
died hating Manuel because Manuel<br>
had hit the numbers more times<br>
than she had hit the numbers<br>
Manuel<br>
died hating all of them<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
and Olga<br>
because they all spoke broken english<br>
more fluently than he did<br>
<br>
And now they are together<br>
in the main lobby of the void<br>
Addicted to silence<br>
Off limits to the wind<br>
Confine to worm supremacy<br>
in long island cemetery<br>
This is the groovy hereafter<br>
the protestant collection box<br>
was talking so loud and proud about<br>
<br>
Here lies Juan<br>
Here lies Miguel<br>
Here lies Milagros<br>
Here lies Olga<br>
Here lies Manuel<br>
who died yesterday today<br>
and will die again tomorrow<br>
Always broke<br>
Always owing<br>
Never knowing<br>
that they are beautiful people<br>
Never knowing<br>
the geography of their complexion<br>
<br>
PUERTO RICO IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE<br>
PUERTORRIQUENOS ARE A BEAUTIFUL RACE<br>
<br>
If only they<br>
had turned off the television<br>
and tune into their own imaginations<br>
If only they<br>
had used the white supremacy bibles<br>
for toilet paper purpose<br>
and make their latino souls<br>
the only religion of their race<br>
If only they<br>
had return to the definition of the sun<br>
after the first mental snowstorm<br>
on the summer of their senses<br>
If only they<br>
had kept their eyes open<br>
at the funeral of their fellow employees<br>
who came to this country to make a fortune<br>
and were buried without underwears<br>
<br>
Juan<br>
Miguel<br>
Milagros<br>
Olga<br>
Manuel<br>
will right now be doing their own thing<br>
where beautiful people sing<br>
and dance and work together<br>
where the wind is a stranger<br>
to miserable weather conditions<br>
where you do not need a dictionary<br>
to communicate with your people<br>
Aqui Se Habla Espanol all the time<br>
Aqui you salute your flag first<br>
Aqui there are no dial soap commericals<br>
Aqui everybody smells good<br>
Aqui tv dinners do not have a future<br>
Aqui the men and women admire desire<br>
and never get tired of each other<br>
Aqui Que Paso Power is what's happening<br>
Aqui to be called negrito<br>
means to be called LOVE<br>
<br>
© Pedro Pietri.<br>
<br>
From Calaca Press:<br>
<br>
For the entire six weeks he was accompanied by his brother Joe and good
friend Papoleto Melendez. They shared a hospital room and took care of
Pedro while he was undergoing treatment.<br>
<br>
Calaca Press had the opportunity to visit Pedro, Joe and Papo many times
in the past month. Bringing them food, wine, a boombox, and other items
to help them through the hours. Including a DVD player with movies like
the Godfather, the Sopranos, and Some Like It Hot (which was a special
request made by Pedro).<br>
<br>
We, as part of a larger artistic and activist community, also had the
opportunity to help organize a reading for Pedro in Playas de Tijuana as
well as a couple small fundraisers on his behalf. Those from San Diego
who participated in these events as well as did other stuff to help
Pedro, Papo and Joe feel at home include: Victor Payan, Lin Romero,
Raymond R. Beltrán, MariaJulia Urias, Anthony Ackee, Mario Torero,
Michael Cheno, Sara Duran, Mikey Figgins, Lizz Huerta, Marc Kockinos from
Poetic Brew, Alma from Hot Monkey Love Cafe, and many others.<br>
<br>
We only wish we could have done more.<br>
<br>
Calaca Press is grateful for the time spent with Pedro, his brother Joe
and Papoleto. Though we did not get to know the "real" Pedro
Pietri (we had never met him prior to our first meeting on January 31,
2004). We hope Pedro (Joe and Papo too) got to know the real
Calacas.<br>
<br>
On behalf of all the poets and artists in Calacalandia, Calaca Press
would like to send out our deepest sympathies to the Pietri family,
including brother Joe, sister Carmen, Little Speedo and the rest of
Pedro's family, friends and Nuyorican contemporaries. We have lost a
literary, and human, treasure.<br>
<br>
From Calacalandia,<br>
<br>
Brent E. Beltrán<br>
Consuelo Manríquez de Beltrán<br>
Calaca Pressp.s. There are still medical expenses, funeral arrangements
and various bills that need to get paid. Please consider making a tax
deductable donation to:<br>
<br>
Pedro Pietri Health Benefit Fund<br>
c/o Nuyorican Poets Cafe<br>
P.O. Box 20794<br>
New York, NY 10009<br>
<br>
_____________________________________<br>
Artes Unidas de Michigan is a statewide parternership
of organizations and individuals working to advance Latino arts and
culture in Michigan with support from the Michigan Council for the Arts
and Cultural Affairs. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Visit the Artes Unidas de Michigan website:
<a href="http://www.artesunidas.org">http://www.artesunidas.org</a><br>
<br>
<br><br>
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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