Just submitted some new poems to my creative writing teacher as part of my final manuscript for the summer.
This poem was the first one I wrote for class and was originally going to follow the same pattern as the parent poem “hymn to vatos who will never be in a poem†but it’s time to meld attribution with some more distinct flavah and see what we can get out of it.
Sonnet for my B-Boys
After Luis Alberto Urrea’s “hymn to vatos who will never be in a poemâ€For my b-boys Lil O, Ray, Jon Boy
For my b-boys walk the straight line by day
For my b-boys know all the street vendors
For my b-boys crushed ice with sweet syrup
For my b-boys fueled by sugar and sweat
For my b-boys swear to always be boys
For my b-boys Ozzy, Ray-Jay, Tiger
For my b-boys up way past their bedtime
For my b-boys stand guard in the hallways
For my b-boys down by law soldiers
For my b-boys keep it copasetic
For my b-boys in coded speak like break beat
For my b-boys Ozwaldo, Raymond, Jon
For my b-boys peace out till the next time