The Gluten Free Chicano. On-Line Floricanto at Year's End.

The Gluten-free Chicano is a fourth-Tuesday monthly La Bloga feature
The Gluten-free Chicano Atones 

Michael Sedano

Over the holiday, the Gluten-free Chicano made a cardinal mistake. All antojado for chile colorado at northeast LA’s best chicano food emporium, El Arco Iris, that’s what I ordered and cleaned my plate.

I know this superb restaurant, like so many others, uses wheat flour to thicken its red chile roux. I gave that not a thought until later that hour when my body began calling me a pendejo for poisoning it. Over the next two days I reminded myself of my standard ever-lasting new year resolution: always read the label, ask the order-taker to check ingredients, or order cocido.

The only avenue to enjoy safe chile colorado is cook it yourself.

Quick Gluten-free chile Colorado

The fastest method uses a bottle of blended chile powder. I like the flavor of Gebhardt’s, it was my mom’s standard. You can take a little more time and blend your own from such flavors as California, Pasilla, New Mexico, Negro, Arbol, Piquín. Add comino, salt, black pepper.

In a deep cast iron skillet high heat olive oil and wilt finely minced onion and garlic, fresh peppers. Add thinly sliced beef and stir over high heat.

With meat still pink, stir half a jar of Gebhardt’s chile powder into the pan.

Add liquid slowly, like pork, beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, or water. Simmer at low boil five minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons corn starch in a quarter cup of water  and stir this into the chile until it thickens to satisfaction.

Serve with tortillas de maíz and gf beer.

La Bloga Heads-Up

Friday's La Bloga features Manuel Ramos' year-end column naming La Bloga's ten favorite books of 2011. 

On-Line Floricanto to Close the Year 2011

Today's six poems from five poets,  Mari Herreras, Teresinka Pereira, Kathy Rising Dove Robinson-Martel, Iris De Anda, Francisco X. Alarcón, wrap up La Bloga's popular On-Line Floricanto for the year.

Next week, Francisco Alarcón and co-moderators of the Facebook group Poets Responding to SB 1070 will nominate the ten favorite poems from 2011.

“Thieves and Saint” by Mari Herreras
"Insomnio" por Teresinka Pereira
"On the Border" by Kathy Rising Dove Robinson-Martel
“Remember It Now..." by Iris De Anda
“Main Argument / Argumento principal" by Francisco X. Alarcón


Thieves and Saints
by Mari Herreras ©2011


You probably think I forgot you.

I did. I left you behind an old stucco apartment off First Avenue and Grant Road.

It was 1991. I figured there was no place for you where I was going.



I've returned.

Maybe it’s by longing for old habits.

A few friends would say it’s a return (or trick) of faith.

I think it’s because in mid-life I appreciate symbols.

Right now they don’t need to be accompanied by prayers.



You are a woman who loves her son, and appreciates roses.

You have a reputation for barking orders at men.

If you were painted without cover, left round, left brown more often,

I would have appreciated you even more. Maybe we'd be best friends.



So, here we are. You sneak-thief.

Great company on a road where we travel both sides.

That side of the road is where I made a little shrine for you above my desk.

Accompanied by a rock I found in my pocket.

Paper flowers made by my son.

A postcard of my city.

Offers for my imagined protection over the words I arrange.



Recently, I lit candles for you in secret at your shrine behind the mission.

I wondered if the woman who sells the candles sees truth.

I wonder if, through a Catholic-mother network, she calls my mother.

For a moment there are angels singing in heaven.

“See, she hasn’t forgotten,” sung in operatic fashion

fat cherubs accompanied by Vicente Fernandez.



No, I guess I never forgot you.

I am in mid-life. I am a sneak-thief.

I am a mother making space for her ancestors.

I am someone who travels both sides of the road.

And sometimes I get lonely and I need your company.



INSOMNIO
por Teresinka Pereira


Doy un vistazo
por mi destino
y por los astros
que hacen hervir
mi sangre.
Mi cerebro
es la serpiente
del paraiso
que se oculta
en la oscuridad.
La noche es mi
pecado original.




on the border
by Kathy Rising Dove Robinson-Martel

in the screaming quiet
of night time
the hunted come
to seek passage
across
the invisible line,
while the hunters
sit silently
in waiting
to steal
the hunted ones
dreams.
the line
it is drawn
in the red earth
as real as
one's imagination
allows it to be.
the delerious
and refined art
of the hunters
armed
with high power
killing machines,
scanning the moonless night
for anything that moves...
anyone who dreams.
the footprints
have been
counted
on the paths
smoothed over
by thread-bare
old tires...
the hunters
and the hunted,
wits against wits,
pitting life against
death,
freedom against
hopelessness,
on the border
that separates
the dreamer
from the dream...


Remember It Now...
by Iris De Anda

propaganda
mass delusion
gives you visions of fear
wears you down
down the abyss
intoxicated paranoia
you have been lied to
senseless words
static noise
disguised ideals
frequency misused
feeling marginalized
misunderstood
alienated
divided they conquer
our choice is clear
expose
decompose
compost patterns of the past
not meant to last
agenda of the ages
disengages
third eye shut down
open it now
sages must rise up
upward and onward
wave wands of truth
ground self in Earth
build movements
that shake away
tear down
deconstruct
all that this programmed
reset button now
know this
you are heaven sent
brilliant being
of stardust
holding cosmic truths
let it flow forth
before structures and order
chaos came first
perfect explosion of life
descends onto this
dimension outside
space time continuum
gather warriors of the rainbow
together
unite
connect essence
through energetic
cords of light
lift all to higher good
a vast experiment
experience
consciousness
look within to travel far
inside is what you seek
a code that decodes
natural detector of lies
solar plexus
guides your path
global nexus
interlacing ideas
free us
be yourself
question reality
invent your own
create a better world
then recreate it again
always growing
weaver of dreams
believe no one
love everyone
your soul on fire
heart embers
remember it now



MAIN ARGUMENT

After reading the 22 page scathing letter (dated December 15, 2011) by Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Assistant Attorney General, dennouncing the discriminatory police & incarcerating policies & practices of Maricopa Sheriff's Office headed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio that violate the Constitution and federal law

by Francisco X. Alarcón


because all humans
-above all- are just humans
not other labels

not matter language,
race, outlook, skin complexion,
national origin

and deserve respect,
protection of their human
and all civil rights—

let the dark forces
twist in fire under the light
of the desert Sun

© Francisco X. Alarcón
December 18, 2011


ARGUMENTO PRINCIPAL

Tras leer la carta acusatoria de 22 páginas (fechada el 15 de diciembre de 2011) de Thomas Pérez, Procurador General Asistente de EE.UU., que denuncia las políticas y prácticas discriminatorias policíacas y carcelarias de la Oficina del Aguacil del Condado de Maricopa encabezada por el Aguacil Joe Arpaio que violan la Constitución y la ley federal

por Francisco X. Alarcón


todos los humanos
–antes de todo– son humanos
no otras etiquetas

no importa lengua,
raza, apariencia, color,
origen nacional

y merecen respeto,
protección de sus derechos
humanos y civiles—

que las fuerzas oscuras
se retuerzan ante la luz
del Sol del desierto

© Francisco X. Alarcón
18 de diciembre de 2011

BIOS
“Thieves and Saint” by Mari Herreras
"Insomnio" por Teresinka Pereira
"On the Border" by Kathy Rising Dove Robinson-Martel
“Remember It Now..." by Iris De Anda
“Main Argument / Argumento principal" by Francisco X. Alarcón

Mari Herreras, a fifth generation Tucsonan, is an award-winning journalist who works for the Tucson Weekly. When she’s not writing about the ugly and beautiful that makes Tucson weird and wonderful, she writes with the Sowing the Seeds women's writing collective. The group recently published its second anthology, "Our Spirit, Our Reality: Celebrating Our Stories."

Teresinka Pereira nacio en Brasil y es Presidenta de la Asociacion Internacional de Escritores
y Artistas (International Writers and Artists Association, IWA). Es tambien Senadora y Embajadora
del Parlamento Mundial de los Estados para la Seguridad y la Paz y Ministro de Derechos Humanos
en la Organizacion Mundial de los Pueblos Indigenas. Tiene el titulo nobiliario de "Dama" de la
Orden de Caballeria de Malta, y tambien el titulo de "Dama de Gracia Magistral" concedido por el
Principe Grao Mestre Don Waldemar Baroni Santos (Brasil).
         TP recibio' el Premio Nacional de Teatro en Brasil, obtuvo el tirulo de "Poeta del An~o de la
Canadian Society of Poets, y el Premio "Ciudad de Atenas" (Grecia). En 1989 fue elegida miembro de
la Academia Norte-Americana de la Lengua Espanola, correspondiente de la Real Academia Espanola".
En 1992 fue coronada con "Laureles de Oro" por la United Poets Laureate Internacional (USA) y en 1994
fue elegida Directora Internacional de la Asociacion de Cultura Latina.En 2002 recibio el titulo de Gran
Oficial de la Orden Real de la Corona de Nubia y en 2003 recibio la medalla del Estado de Sicilia (Italia).
Recibio' los diplomas de Doctorado Honoris Causa:
1973 - Doctorado en Lenguas Romances de la Universidad de New Mexico (USA)
1997 - Doctora Honoris Causa de la Universidad Simon Bolivar (Colombia)
1999- Profesora Honoris Causa de la Academia Internacional de St. Lukas, Antwerpen
2000 - Doctora Honoris Causa en Filosofia y Humanidades de la Academia de Cultura y Ciencias de Moldova.
2001- Doctora Honoris Causa en Humanidades de la Academia de Ciencias Politicas de Alemania.
2002 - Doctora Honoris Causa en Ciencias Politicas de la Universidad Americana de Paranaibo, Surimani.
2003 - Delegada y Chanceler de la Cambridge International University in USA.
2007 - Poeta Honoris Causa del Clube Brasileiro da Lingua Portuguesa.
2010 - Presidente Honorario de la Asociacion Hispanista de Escritores.
2011 - Honorary Ambassador of the International Forum for Literature, Arts and Culture (IFLAC) in USA.
BLOG:
http://internationalartistwritersassociation.blogspot.com/

Kathryn Rising Dove Robinson-Martel, of English and Native American descent, grew up in the suburbs of New York City, and moved to rural Maine in 1979. to be closer to nature. She endeavors to have a book of poetry published one day, finding inspiration in the natural, simple life Maine has to offer. She attended Nasson College, University of Southern Maine and Pace University at White Plains.

foto:msedano

Francisco X. Alarcón, award winning Chicano poet and educator, is author of twelve volumes of poetry, including, From the Other Side of Night: Selected and New Poems (University of Arizona Press 2002), and Snake Poems: An Aztec Invocation (Chronicle Books 1992)  His latest book is Ce•Uno•One: Poems for the New Sun (Swan Scythe Press 2010). His book of bilingual poetry for children, Animal Poems of the Iguazú (Children’s Book Press 2008), was selected as a Notable Book for a Global Society by the International Reading Association. His previous bilingual book titled Poems to Dream Together (Lee & Low Books 2005) was awarded the 2006 Jane Addams Honor Book Award. He has been a finalist nominated for Poet Laureate of California in two occasions.  He teaches at the University of California, Davis.  He is the creator of the Facebook page POETS RESPONDING TO SB 1070 that you can visit at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poets-Responding-to-SB-1070/117494558268757?ref=ts