Jim’s Barn Series #3, Pastel, by John Cummings
The Foreman and Jose
They were at it again,
The foreman pretending not to understand,
And Jose really not understanding,
And of mild disposition, “No, dile que me pague,”
He would say, “He no pay me todo.”
Okay so Jose could speak a little,
Knew enough English to maybe get a beer
At the Kettle downtown on Saturday
When the workers came into town,
And what Jose meant by “he no pay” he meant
The foreman was paying himself a little extra
For all the work he did for the Mexicans
To keep them working.
Well, actually the foreman’s robbing them,
Taking part of each man’s pay
Without their knowledge or say so,
But this migrant is persistent,
Won’t easily give up, the foreman
Could have him deported but enjoys
The game, “Tell him to be patient,”
And he turns to Jose, “Ok, amigo?
______________
Zeke Sanchez
Review by Jared Pearce
The snapshot of life presented here is fast and intriguing and a little sad, which makes for a good mix in a snapshot.