Bienvenido Poem for Sophie

This morning that would’ve meant

a field of crumpled snow if we

were in Vermont, brought only

a crumpled sky to Texas,

and you and Alba for breakfast

tacos at Torres Taco Haven

where you admired my table

next to the jukebox and

said, Good place to write.

You promised we could come back

and have tacos together and sit

here with coffee and our writer’s

notebooks whenever we want.

And nobody would have to talk

if we didn’t want to. Next time

you come by my house, I want

to take you up to the roof.

At sunset the grackles

make a wonderful racket.

You can come whenever you want.

And nobody will have to talk

if we don’t want to.