Spanglish Lady

1993 COPYRIGHT
BY PETER CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND
(FOR CARMEN "LETICIA" TEJEDA)

CARMEN YOU MADE A SACRIFICE I COULDN'T FULLY COMPREHEND
YOU HAD A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH A STEADY BOYFRIEND
BUT YOU HAD A WORLDLY LIFESTYLE YOU NEEDED TO TRANSCEND
TO MAKE A DECISION YOUR SELFISH WANTS HAD TO BE IGNORED
YOUR BOYFRIEND MUST'VE BEEN DUMBFOUNDED AND FLOORED
WHEN YOU TOLD HIM YOU WERE LEAVING HIM FOR THE LORD
YOU ENCOURAGED HIM TO RISE ABOVE EMPTY LOVE AND PERVERSION
AND FOLLOW YOU TO MIDWEEK, DEVO AND SUNDAY EXCURSIONS
AND PERHAPS HE THOUGHT IT WAS A PASSING PHASE AND DIVERSION
UNTIL YOU WENT INTO THE WATER AND MADE OFFICIAL YOUR CONVERSION
THEN HE REALIZED THAT YOUR DECISION HAD BEEN MADE
AND WITHOUT HIS OWN CONVICTION THE ROMANCE WOULD FADE
AND UPON SEEING HIS GRIEF YOU WERE SAD AND DISMAYED
BUT YOU KNEW THAT YOU WOULD SOMEDAY FACE GOD UNAFRAID

LAST FEBRUARY MANNY WAS DRIVING US BACK FROM A MIDWEEK SERVICE
YOU HAD JUST BEEN DUNKED THREE DAYS BEFORE AND WERE NERVOUS
SO MANNY WAS SPEAKING DISCREETLY TO YOU IN SPANISH
(YOU'D NEVER KNOW I ONCE HAD TWO YEARS OF THAT LANGUAGE)
I WROTE YOU A LONG INDULGENT CARD BUT THOUGHT WHAT WAS THE USE
THEY WERE WORDS AND IDEAS I WAS UNABLE TO CLAIM
FOR EVEN THOUGH I HAD MADE SURE I HAD SIGNED MY NAME
IT WAS IRRELEVANT FOR WE HAD NEVER BEEN INTRODUCED
WE STOPPED AND YOU WERE OUT OF YOUR SEATBELT AND OUT THE DOOR
AND I SAT AND SPOKE WITH MANNY AS THE ENGINE ROARED
HE DEPARTED AND I RAN TO SHUT HIS DOOR AS HE WENT
WHILE YOU WAITED FOR ME OUTSIDE YOUR APARTMENT
YOU SAID I WAS THOUGHTFUL (YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TOO EMOTIONAL)
YOU SAID WE'D SEE EACHOTHER AT THE DEVOTIONAL

CARMEN I'M ENCOURAGED BY YOUR CONCERN FOR PEOPLE
YET ANY ATTEMPT OF MINE TO MAKE YOU SMILE PROVES FEEBLE
I'M INSPIRED BY YOUR LOVE AND QUICKNESS TO EMBRACE
YET SO MANY TIMES I SEE YOU HIDING YOUR FACE
YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE GREEN SHIRTS YOU WANT ME TO WEAR
YET CAROL HAS MADE A THREAT SOMEDAY TO CHOP OFF ALL YOUR HAIR
IF YOU DON'T LEARN VERY SOON TO LAUGH OUT LOUD
AND STEP OUT FROM UNDER YOUR BLEAK GLOOMY CLOUD
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT ONE SUNDAY FAMILY TIME
CAROL ANN WAS WELDED TO THE TELEPHONE LINE
OBED HAD HIS NAILS DONE AND WAS LOOKING FOR TURPENTINE
AND EDUARDO WAS WOLFING POPCORN LIKE A SWINE
AND WHILE KEVIN BATHED IN SHAVING CREAM HAD ALL OF US IN STITCHES
YOU WERE OFF IN SOLITUDE QUIETLY DOING THE DISHES