La Calavera Del Desierto (English Translación)
La Calavera crawled out of the Arizona desert
rattling its dusty bones like an ancient rattlesnake
covered by red dust and sand
too tired and swallowing mouthfuls of hot air
opening and closing her crumbling jaws
as if she wanted to speak up
and say something about that hellish desert
named Arizona, but La Calavera only cried and screamed
La Calavera carried a little bag of ragged clothes
tied to her back and wore a “corona” hat
no pants or skirt, no blouse or shirt
no wallet or hand bag; no boots or high hills
no Virgen de Guadalupe medal
or silver earrings, no name or last name
she only carried lots of gabacho dreams
plastered dried on her long bones
La Calavera was naked to the bone
in that day in which the sun burnt those souls
that dared to walk alone in this desert
cluttered with rattlesnakes, red and yellow scorpions
and ants as red as the dying sun
La Calavera reached a dirt road that disappeared
into the desert’s womb, and stopped under a saguaro
those giant cactus with opened arms covered with thorns
La Calavera sat down under the steaming sun
too tired to go on and began to dig a dry hole
to rest in peace…
