We, Animals

For Justin Torres

*This poem first appeared in the journal Word Riot.

We, Animals
For Justin Torres

You’re right kid.
We are animals.

Upstate Puerto Rocks.		Wepaaaaa!!!

Comin’ up in a land 
of “Big Dick Trucks”. 
raised by gringas,
knowin’ more about 
Genny Cream Ale
than Medalla.

But yo, we can eat rice and beans
with our buffalo wings all day!

And I was drinking Adirondack Cola 
when my cousins was drinkin Maltas.

But my godmother’s moms would come
up from Loisaida and make some mean
pastelillos on the weekends, so 
it was all good.

But people who ain’t animals
can’t understand the way 
riverbanks replace
beaches,
and smallmouth bass
replace el sábalo.

No one 
knows the rhythm
of Héctor Lavoe
when he’s mixed 
with Led Zeppelin,
the way we animals do.