Tejo y Sapo

 

1. Tejo

We were finally old enough

my brother and I

to join our cousins

in the game of tejo

They drank beer

ate empanadas and chicharrón under

the glow of a disco-ball light

Neon pink and red bulbs flickered

The walls of la tiendita were sticky with

the remnants of clay

and burnt plastic

We split into teams and then

we threw the metal disc at the

gunpowder chips

The sizzle and smoke

the strike and pop!

muted by the “oye!” and “epa!”

of winning

One point for each mecha

two if you hit the chip in the middle

none if you miss the clay board

We played three games to 25,

then ran out of pocket money

The sun was still the king of the sky when

we stepped outside

and took a breath

High-school boys honked and whistled

at girls crossing the street

reggaeton blaring from their Toyota

Shirtless workers sat on the sidewalk

licking their fingers

as they shared rellenas and salchipapas

It was Sunday

and the night was alive

with vallenato and samba

and alegría

 

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2. Sapo

Outside la tiendita

 street lights flickered on

  one by one

We returned after dinner

 to launch metal rings at a tower

  with holes on the top and on the front

Wood colored blue red yellow

Standing as a semi circle

 a crescent moon

  we took turns throwing the rings

    straining to get them into a slot

We hit the crate of Coke bottles beside

the wall

 one too many

  times.

The store owner laughed at us from the

other side of the

 glass window

Teens in hoods

 and girls in heels

picked up the rings that rolled away

 skittered in between wheels of bicycles

  and fell flat beside a gum wrapper.

My phone rang

 “vuelvan que ya oscureció”

Above la tiendita

 the stars twinkled

And we were kids again.