when venezuela betters

my lover has expressed a want
to see the streets i walked    the beaches i made sandcastles on
give his eyes a feeding of my formative sanctuaries
the places i went to with my imagination
with my little sister on a leash,
and my mother and father out in the world working.

when venezuela betters,
i say hopeful,
if venezuela betters, i hope to show you
to the andes, and the llanos, and our coast
reveal my childhood in all the shades i so enjoyed,
with   p r i d e.

until venezuela betters,
i have a soft dream and hard news
of policemen robbing rebels from their fight,
grandmothers without insulin,
grandfathers with black market pacemakers.

until venezuela betters,
we'll read the news with every hope it's all over.