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       para Abuelita Neli y sus hijas

      . . .los que nunca sabe nadie de dónde son. . . los que fueron cosidos a balazos al cruzar la frontera. . . los eternos indocumentados. . .

      . . .the ones no one ever knows where they’re from. . . the ones burned by bullets when they crossed the border. . . the eternally undocumented. . .

       Roque Dalton, “Poema de amor” May 14, 1935–May 10, 1975

       Contents

        Title Page

        Note to Reader

      1  To Abuelita Neli

      2  Saguaros

      3  from The Book I Made with a Counselor My First Week of School

      4  Second Attempt Crossing

      5  El Salvador

      6  On a Dirt Road outside Oaxaca

      7  Cassette Tape

      8  To President-Elect

      9  Pump Water from the Well

      10  Instructions for My Funeral

      11  Montage with Mangoes, Volcano, and Flooded Streets

      12  The Pier of La Herradura

      13  Dancing in Buses

      14  How to Enlist

      15  Documentary

      16  ARENA

      17  “Don Chepe”

      18  Disappeared

      19  Rooftop

      20  This Was the Field

      21  Politics

      22  Aftermath

      23  For Israel and María de los Ángeles

      24  Crybaby

      25  Abuelita Neli’s Garden with Parakeets Named Chepito

      26  I Don’t Want to Speak of “Don Chepe”

      27  How I Learned to Walk

      28  Postpartum

      29  “Ponele Queso Bicho” Means Put Cheese on It Kid

      30  Then, It Was So

      31  Mom Responds to Her Shaming

      32  Alterations

      33  Aubade

      34  Prayer

      35  Abuelita Says Goodbye

      36  Let Me Try Again

      37  Citizenship

      38  San Francisco Bay and “Mt. Tam”

      39  Doctor’s Office First Week in This Country

      40  Vows

      41  Nocturne

      42  Deportation