La Chickenada Lament

Michael Sedano

La Chickenada were discussing yesterday’s death of Oldest Barred Rock. Uncharacteristically unraucous, the girls were taking turns sharing fond memories of the good-natured brown-egger.
The brash New Hampshire praised Oldest Barred Rock's eggshell, “A rich, deep brown. Best I’ve seen, other than my own, of course.”

The oldest bird of the flock, the ancient Ameraucana lamented, “It should have been me. I’ve laid around this old jaula for six years now.” 

The younger Ameraucana couple sang softly in the background, “I’ve laid around, and played around, this old jaula too long, summer’s almost gone yes winter’s coming on…” 

The ancient Ameraucana paused to give the youngsters an appreciative cluck. They continued singing sotto voce to the ancient Ameraucana's recollection.

“I remember when that coyote had La Marta in its jaws, she was a goner for sure. And good ol’Marta, she was just laughing, ‘Now I have coyote just where I want it!’ How she ever got away, we'll never really know. That Marta, she dined out on that story for months.” 

“…and I feel like I’ve gotta travel on.”

The Ameraucana couple stopped singing to chirp in, “Yeah, but that coyote sneaked in later and had La Marta for midnight snack, didn’t she?” 

The ancient Ameraucana nodded her head remembering that horrible night, the panic, the feathers, La Marta's last desperate gasp. The ancient one looked around and clucked her satisfaction at the security surrounding La Chickenada. Una jaula de oro.

“STFU!” the three young Barred Rocks objected, “you two weren’t here then, that’s just what you heard. Besides, you’re the newest ones in la jaula so what do you know?”

Buffy the Buff Orpington fluffed herself to her fullest and stared them down. “Ladies, ladies, we are commemorating our late friend, Oldest Barred Rock, and besides, you upstart Barred Rocks came in with pinfeathers the same day as those two green-eggers, and they were already pullets, so shut your beaks.”

Just then the girls spotted me eavesdropping. 

Buffy took the lead, “Órale, loco, what say we spill a bit of feed and have a day in the sun in honor of Oldest Barred Rock?”

New Hampshire lifted a wing in outrage and shot back, “Hey, Buffy, you know she had a name! She had a voice. She had dignity. Don’t denigrate her calling just her age and color.” 

“Yeah!” the Ameraucana couple protested, “she had a name. Use it.”

I poured a small amount of laying mash and oyster shell on the earth and we bowed our heads in a moment of remembrance for our late friend, McNuggets.




Reading Resource in Plague-Time: Aztlán Libre Press 

"It's Texas, Jake."

Home of knuckle-headed politicians, Texas also nurtures la Chicanada's most significant publisher, Aztlán Libre Press. The graphic here illustrates how, title for title, pound for pound, Aztlán Libre Press is the best small publisher in Chicano Literature.

Not judging these books by their cover, La Bloga-Tuesday has reviewed six of the titles. This is worthwhile literature, gente.

Plus, now that gente are finding coloring a way to relax during extended isolation, be sure you add that coloring book to your order.

Here's a link that puts you a few days away from your choices:
https://aztlanlibrepress.com




In Memoriam. Diane Rodriguez ¡Presente!

Diane Rodriguez is a stage and film actress, stage director, and Associate Director of the Los Angeles Center group. Among the many films she has been featured in is the Arnold Schwarzenegger cult classic Terminator 2. Here Diane explains that the role she was originally cast for suddenly changed when she got on the set.