Say, Whatever Happened to Joaquin?

Poem by richard rios

“i am Joaquín and i refuse to be absorbed.”1

I remember Joaquin when he burst upon the scene; a Warrior, mean, aloof & clad in a Brown Beret, dark shades, creased khakis, a Pendelton across his arm, his shield; A tattooed teardrop sliding down a brown cheek, sleek. A Master’s in barrioology, Phd. in misery, donning a Huelga button, El Plan de Aztlán2 y qué? No longer Non-Goal Oriented, no mas passive: “Si Señor, No señor”; Sassy now - sporting a furtive “Give me an inch and I’ll take a mile” smile.

I remember Joaquin, keen, a lean Macho Machine in faded blue jeans; proud, defiant, hardly compliant, a little giant, leading the marches and the protest rallies, taking on the Board of Trustees with ease, facing the ugly goons, and patronizing patrones, armed with that “Si Se Puede”3. savvy and a Financial Aid form; He filled the classrooms from wall to wall, down the hall, all the way to the mall, aghast to learn about his past. But whatever happened to Joaquin? I mean, did he just split the scene? Or did he take off with Irene? Or leave to discover the American Dream? I heard he transferred, that he went on to UC Sacra4., UC Davis or U.C. Basurklas5 Others say they saw him in a suit, Men’s Wearhouse, No doubt, not Zoot; That he’s working for La Migra6 .; an air- conditioned office, quite conditioned, earning 50 thou’, or that he’s a counselor, or working with migrant kids.

José told me he dropped out of school, still playing the fool, not too cool and Concha says that she saw him at the Welfare office, that he got Margarita pregnant, that he’s paying alimony for three kids, his life on the skids; that she heard from Rosa his ex-esposa, that he got busted for blowing some homeboy away, and did time in La Pinta7, that Norte-Sur pedo8 ., tú sabes: same old same old. My Comadre said that he looked pale, a sad tale, thirty-eight going on sixty-five.

But this is just hearsay, rumors, cause I spoke to him today and he’s doin’ just fine; told me he’s gone online: www.Vato Loco9.com. A Dow Jones Discover Card shark, writing grants, his scheme; No longer José, he’s Joe now. No más Alfredo, ahora es “Al”. No longer Pancho, but “Pete”, more discreet; No more Juan but John. Goodbye Chuy now Jess.

Now it’s Sean, Briana no mas Juana; Penélope Sánchez? Today he leases a BMW ( sold his 57’Chevy). No longer listens to Rancheras10., listens to Rap and Hip Hop now, and he told me, as if to wake me from my dream, almost in a scream:

I am still Joaquín, the one who burst upon the scene: “I am the masses of my people and I refuse to be ignored, ignored, ignored, ignored!”