marv sherrill - 10-30-2008 at 04:44 PM
I'm not sure of the significance of the following poem, but it seems like there is a message in there somewhere. Anyway, I just thought I'd share it
with all of you - Marv
In the footprints of the padres, before the gringo came,
in the days of the old missions, in the days of Spanish fame,
when those dear old Spanish families ruled the Golden State-
what a different California at that very early date.
The black-eyed senorita and the caballero too,
and the sun baked old adobe were never known to you.
Where are those good old families of the early yesterday?
Listen, mi amigo, to what I've got to say:
There were the Picos and Carrillos with their many leagues of land,
and their rancheros filled with cattle that they hardly had to brand.
Domingues, De La Guerras, Sepulvedas and others,
and they lived side by side with the peacefulness of brothers.
They trusted one another much different then than now,
and they did a lot of thinking to avoid most any row.
Then you came, amigo mio, and you saw the lands we had,
and you wrote back to your mother and mother told your dad.
And when they read your letters of the beauties of our state,
they packed the many things they had and shipped them wagon freight.
Then you crowded all around us, inch by inch you hemmed us in,
till we'd scarcely room to breathe in-it really seemed a sin.
Then you took away our rancheros that were given us by Spain,
and you took our senoritas-see, the answer is quite plain:
now the children of the daughter whose grandad's blood was Latin
are scattered from Point Loma clear back to Manhattan.
It's just a simple story from your amigo in the west-
I couldn't help telling you- just to get it off my chest.
Damne Yanquis!
Too bad...
Mexray - 10-30-2008 at 07:36 PM
...Leo didn't take the time to write a little ditty about how the Aztec's were enjoying their vast lands in Central America when the Spaniards decided
to move in and take over...!
1000lbBlue - 10-31-2008 at 07:06 AM
Even though he is latino he seems to sound like the stereotypical gringo he describes. Why would we share our lands anyways huh? Conservation was his
strong point. Conservation through education. I don't think being angry works to well. I wonder if he would roll over in his grave or be happy that
whenever the wave named after him fires and there are easily 30 gringos out there? He sounds a bit bitter to me...