65 Years

Miguel and Isabel Olivas
February 10, 2019

A poem by Daniel A. Olivas

In honor of my parents’ 65^th wedding anniversary

February 6, 2019

Those are a lot of years, no?

For two beautiful brown folks

To be together.

Her family came from Jalisco to L.A.

Almost a hundred years ago escaping

The violence of the Revolution.

His came from Chihuahua to this same city

Around the same time also fleeing the

Revolution’s blood and broken promises.

Somehow these two brown folks found

Each other, fell in love, and married after

He came back from fighting in Korea.

With the familia around them, after Mass,

And after Mexican food at Yolanda’s, 

We cut cake and saluted them.

These two beautiful brown folks, suffered

And loved and struggled and laughed and

Cried—but it was worth it, that we know.

Those are a lot of years, no?

For two beautiful brown folks

To be together.