Joanna is the girl you need to call.
She’ll dump the meanest tough guy on his rump
with a judo throw, like the “shoulder wheel.”
The family car requires an oil change?
She’ll crawl under the motor with a pan.
and if they blow a tire on the way,
she’ll swap it with the spare in nothing flat.
Your team of friends can’t beat that online game?
Make her a member and you’ll win the match.
When spicing up the way your munchies taste,
she knows the perfect chile for all snacks.
But best of all, when it’s just her and me,
Joanna is as sweet as girls can be.
THE REFUGE ON THE RANCH
It’s quiet here except for the hushed flow of the river
and the hum of bugs answered by the sharp trill of birds.
Somewhere, an ocelot growls.
I know poetry when I hear it.
GLOSSARY
Abuela [ah-WEL-ah] grandmother
Abuelo [ah-WEL-oh] grandfather
Agua de melón [AH-wah theh meh-LOHN] a drink made from canteloupe
Agua mineral [AH-wah mee-neh-RAL] mineral water
Apá [ah-PAH] “pops,” shortened form of papá or “father”
Así como [ah-SEE KOH-moh] just like
Así que ojo [ah-SEE keh OH-hoh] so watch out
Atole [ah-TOH-leh] hot drink made from corn starch
Baño maría [BAHN-yoh mah-REE-ah] steaming food in a pot
Bienvenido [byen-beh-NEE-thoh] welcome
Bisabuela [bee-sahb-WEL-ah] great grandmother
Brindis [BREEN-dees] a toast
Bolsitas [bol-SEE-tahs] bags of candy given out at birthday parties
Cacahuatero [kah-kah-wah-TEH-roh] someone who likes, eats, or sells peanuts
Café de olla [kah-FEH theh OH-yah] coffee with cinnamon, made in a clay pot
Canelo [kah-NEL-oh] “cinnamon-colored,” the nickname of Mexican boxer Saúl Álvarez
Carnalito [kar-nah-LEE-toh] little brother
Carne asada [KAR-neh ah-SAH-thah] barbecue
Carrizo [kar-REE-soh] reeds
Cascarón [kas-kah-ROHN] hollowed-out egg shell filled with something else, like confetti
Cerveza [ser-BEH-sa] beer
Chachalaca [chah-chah-LAH-kah] a sort of noisy bird
Chafo [CHAH-foh] cheap, knock-off
Chamaco [chah-MAH-koh] boy
Champurrado [cham-poo-RAH-thoh] a chocolate drink with corn meal in it
Chavalito [chah-bah-LEE-toh] little dude
Chisme [CHEEZ-meh] gossip
Chones [CHOH-nes] undies (slang for “calzones” or “underwear”)
Colonia [koh-LOH-nyah] neighborhood, often a poor one (in the US)
Con todo respeto with all due respect
Concuña [kohn-KOO-nyah] a kind of sister-in-law: the wife of the brother of a person’s spouse
Córranle pa’ sus casas hurry on back to your houses
Cucuy/Cucu [koo-KOO-ee] bogeyman, monster
Cuero [KWEH-roh] leather or skin
Dale [DAH-leh] hit it
Dichos [DEE-chos] traditional sayings
Durmiendo con los angelitos sleeping with the little angels
En las fiestas hay variedad musical At our parties there’s musical variety
Es más what’s more
Estas son las mañanitas these are the morning songs
Fíjate [FEE-hah-teh] check this out
Fregona [freh-GO-nah] tough girl
Fronterizo [frohn-teh-REE-soh] person from the border
Galleta [gah-YEH-tah] cookie
Garita [gah-REE-tah] border inspection station
Generaciones de albañiles generations of construction workers
Gente [HEN-teh] people
Glorias a type of caramel candy
Güero [WEH-roh] person with pale skin
Huerco ladrón [WER-koh lah-DROHN] thieving little brat
Huerquitos [wer-KEE-tos] young kids
Joya [HOH-yah] a Mexican brand of fruit-flavored soft drinks
Lazos [LAH-sos] cords used in weddings to join bride and groom
Lechuza [leh-CHOO-sah] screech owl or (more commonly) a witch that has turned into one
Lero, lero a taunting cry that kids use, like “nanny nanny boo boo”
Limonada [lee-moh-NAH-thah] lemonade
Los hombres y las gallinas, poco tiempo
en la cocina men and chickens should spend little time in the kitchen
Mamá escucha rock en español Mom listens to rock sung in Spanish
Me siento recargado de cultura I feel recharged with culture
Mero main one, boss, best
M’ijo [MEE-hoh] my son
Mis dos hombres my two men
Mis otros abuelos my other grandparents
Monte [MOHN-teh] woods or wild area
Muchachas [moo-CHAH-chahs] girls
Muchachos traviesos, se van a lastimar Naughty boys, you’re going to hurt yourselves
Muertito [mwer-TEE-toh] little dead man
Nagual [nah-WAL] shapeshifter
No pierdas el tino don’t miss when you swing
No sé I don’t know
Novios [NOH-byohs] bride and groom (or girlfriend and boyfriend)
Oficio [oh-FEES-yoh] trade, occupation, profession
Pachanga [pah-CHAHN-gah] big party
Papacho [pah-PAH-choh] loving cuddle
Papeles [pah-PEL-es] papers
Para hacernos un hogar to make a home for ourselves
Pecas [PEH-kahs] freckles
Pero nada but nothing
Piel [pyel] skin or leather
Pingo [PEEN-goh] little devil, brat
Plática [PLAH-tee-kah] conversation
Pobre güerito poor little pale-skinned kid
Pocho [POH-choh] not quite Mexican, not quite American (potentially insulting)
¿Por qué? Why?
Porque si lo pierdes because if you miss [when you swing]
Pos filler word like “uh” or “well”
Pos, sí well, yeah
Prima/o cousin
Primerito [pree-meh-REE-toh] first
¿Puedo? [PWEH-thoh] Can I?
Pulga [POOL-gah] flea market
Que cantaba el rey David that King David sang
¿Qué te pasa? What’s wrong with you?
Quinceañera [keen-seh-ahn-YEH-rah] a girl who is turning 15; also the big birthday party she gets
Rarezas [rah-REH-sahs] weird things
Raspa [RAHS-pah] shaved ice with flavored syrup
Recuerdos [reh-KWER-thohs] memories or mementos
Remedios [reh-METH-yohs] remedies
Resaca [reh-SAH-kah] oxbow lake
Restorán [res-toh-RAHN] restaurant
Revolución [reh-boh-loos-YOHN] revolution
Rosca [ROHS-kah] circular cake
Se abre la pista [seh AH-breh la PEES-tah] the dance-floor is open
Suegra [SWEH-grah] mother-in-law
Takis preparados [TAH-kees preh-pah-RAH-thohs] a spicy snack
Tamalada [tah-mah-LAH-thah] a gathering of loved ones to make tamales for a special occasion while having conversation.
Tejabán [teh-hah-BAHN] cheaply made wooden house
Tía [TEE-ah] aunt
Tío [TEE-oh] uncle
Tlacuache [tahk-WAH-cheh] opossum
Todo ese jale [TOH-thoh EH-seh HAH-leh] all that stuff
Travieso [trahb-YEH-soh] naughty
Ya sé I already know.
Vieja racista [BYEH-hah rah-SEES-tah] racist old lady
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVID BOWLES grew up and lives in the Río Grande Valley of South Texas. A many-faceted writer and scholar, he’s the author of Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico. His middle-grade fantasy The Smoking Mirror was selected as a 2016 Pura Belpré Author Honor by t
he American Library Association. @DavidOBowles is active in the #weneeddiversebooks and #ownvoices movements. He’s a professor at UTRGV.