On the Frontera

By Tatiana Rodriguez

[Inspired by "Better Together" by Jack Johnson. This song played in the background as I sipped my iced latte in Frontera.]

Content but awakened,

Calming essence of lavender

Its spirit sprinkled in its seeds

Sowed in between ice

Sweet aromas of cinnamon spice

That makes me remember the Fall

Into piles of Leaves Dried,

But I know they'll blow, gone.

Rich scents of the cafe brewery,

Enticing me over the Frontera

In the Saturday morning light,

I stood in between the rays

Upon crossing the Frontera,

I was welcomed

To the beats of hearty laughter,

Friendly conversation,

The tanginess of cheesecake churros

Take a seat

Take a sip

Into this daily scene.

I gazed through the window:

Be Cautious!

Children Crossing!

Blended by the Brush of Mask,

Next door to home, orange aglow

There is not a single word

At the back of my notebook

That gives a light hint

Into the Frontera's land

There is no song I can sing

No notes I can reach,

No tones in speech,

That indefinitely makes the Frontera.

All I know is I believe in memory

In preservation,

In documentation,

Remembering, telling the stories,

Histories --

Creating a platform for our community's voices

Take a seat

Take a sip

Into this daily scene.

Listen to our community's voices

In harmony, in song,

Reverberating across The Street

On the Frontera