Plenty

~ in memoriam, Aurora Villaseñor Igloria

Say your mother is eyeing the last
piece of bread on the table: 

instead of asking for it, she
might say Don't you want the last

pan de leche? That way, if you 
or anyone else wants it,

you could have it, and her little
longing might be tucked away. 

Or say there is just so much rice 
in the pot: so your grandparents  

sing the praises of the smoky 
and brittle crust at the bottom, 

how it crumbles like a cracker 
or a golden lattice. They'll say 

What a lifetime of eating our fill
of the world: mangos and sugar apples, 

doughnuts and sponge cakes---so much
plenty, they don't need to be reminded.