by
Jane Candia Coleman
- This is the church of Saint Esteban,
our patron.
It was built by the Spaniards
when they came
and forced their religion on us.The twin bells in the towers
came from Mexico.
We paid for them -
two boys and two girls.Today most young people
are going back to the old ways.
We learn the old language
from our grandfathers
who are our dictionaries.Sometimes in the evening
when the houses are hot,
we sit on the edge of the mesa
and look out over our land.The little children say,
`Why do you sit there?'
`What do you see?'
We tell them we are watching the sunset.Some things cannot be spoken.
From No Roof But Sky by Jane Candia Coleman, High Plains Press.
© 1990 Jane Candia Coleman
Books by Jane Candia Coleman
- No Roof but Sky: Poetry of the American West, High Plains Press.
- The Red Drum: Poetry of the American West, High Plains Press.
- Stories from Mesa Country, Swallow Press.
- Discovering Eve: Short Stories, Swallow Press.
- Moving On, Leisure Books.
- Doc Holliday's Gone : A Western Duo, Five Star.
- The Red Drum: Poetry of the American West, High Plains Press.
