Meanwhile You’ll Find Me in Oaxaca, by Joanne Godley

after Passages East West 1, by Raymond Saunders (USA) 1987
https://ocula.com/art-galleries/andrew-kreps-gallery/artworks/raymond-saunders/passages-east-west-1/

Meanwhile You’ll Find Me in Oaxaca 
​
for a dozen of your hen’s eggs John cuts your hair
Bo’ says I’ll taxi you to town for tutoring my girl
 
Reina has her otoscope   she’ll examine your ears  
If you’ll set straight her plumbing conundrum 
 
Our community will be our kryptonite
prices of cowpeas and mangos have risen
someone neglected to renew the sun’s contract
 
so Carol’s offering a week of fresh fish for fixing her roof
 
the rich demand we work through stormy weather or bright
jot this number down to get your windows cleaned
 
don’t despair yet     I beg of you all
the sunflowers are drooping    having yielded their time
 
give pause for the tummy-wrenching hunger in the nation
the prices of eggs are now up ten dollars a dozen
 
(in lieu of listening to the blacklisted weather channel)
hear broadcasted murmurings by Mothers Immaculate
  
it appears the sunshine’s been sent on its way
while dark funnel clouds shimmy in from the west 
 
as you stomp off to bitch / ponder / and stew
a gallon of milk will soon cost you a Jackson
 
together we can sure conquer this   while divided   we’ll fail
 
Joanne Godley

Joanne Godley is a poet, writer, and art lover who resides in beautiful Mexico City. "Almost daily, my puppy, Jazz, and I walk to Twisted Tree Park (I’ve renamed it) and I think about poetry and how lucky I am to live here, while Jazz watches the squirrels."