Over the Borderline

Islas del Cielo I saw sky islands reaching high above me As I scuffled across the rocky desert floor They looked so inviting…yet so very far I stared out at those islands without a shore Down here I look around And there are no tall trees Just shrubs and rock and cacti And other immigrant debris Up there it seems so green And the air…must be so cool To have left my mountain home in Mexico I must have been a fool But in Estados Unidos the money is green In my home of Durango the money is gone The children’s shoes are tattered and worn So we made this dreadful journey…just me and Juan We left the Sierra Madre for Chihuahua Stowaway scorpions hid in our packs We battled our way up to Sonora On dusty desert railroad tracks We lived on beans and tortillas Rode in boxcars and slept in the arroyo Got drunk on homemade tequilas And listened to music on Mexican radio Border lights twinkled as we crossed over sand Then into a semi with the door slammed tight