Noble House of Salazar

Oswaldo Vargas

He gets me a beer

halfway through it,
I unravel.

mistake mistake
ohgodmistake

The waitress asks if I'm ok

how do i say that I hope he knows my weight
before the night is done? 

He can sell my bones when he's done with me
and I'd still ask which one fetched more money

He drops me off
but i still pretend my steps lead up
to his family home

A spot in the hallway,
reserved for the portrait of his bride

mount me on a wall

call me a success.

---

Oswaldo Vargas is a former farmworker, a graduate from the University of California, Davis and a 2021 Undocupoets Fellow. Anthology features include Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color and Puro Chicanx Writers of the 21st Century. His work can also be seen in The Louisville Review, Queen Mob’s Teahouse, Huizache, West Trade Review, Narrative (upcoming) and the Green Mountains Review tribute issue to former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera (among others). He lives and dreams in Sacramento, California.