Aggressive Regionalism: Texts

12. Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, “Green Lake”

Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano, “Green Lake,” in Metamórfosis 1:2 (1978): 8.

Green Lake

Site of youthful sun-days,
I filled bathing suit with holes
scudding four year old bottom
around kidney shaped kiddie pool.
Twenty four years later
the scene is still the same,
but older eyes take in now
what mattered little to the child:

bodies homogenously white
sport a chaster nudity
proud of temporary bronze
or steamed shell fish pink

here and there
self conscious blacks
bunch in tight contingents
side by side blanket solidarity
in white suburban playfield

perpetual newcomers
small groups of raza
stroll clockwise lake round
lean tough on lamp post trees
aware of looks

amidst structured leisure time activities
the frantic fun
the determined jogging
the frisbee fumbles
they set up uneasy residency
wash down pinto bean picnic
with a coke

Yvonne Yarbo-Bejarano
Seattle
May 9, 1976

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