Christmas Across the Border

Christmas Across the Border












A Christmas trip to Arizona
Laughing and joking our way
Across the desert on a bus
A happy and joyous affair
Would soon turn into a nightmare

Tucson lights at night
Sinaloa so long ago
It seems...
But only the day before
Our broken navidad dreams

A lone toddler’s shoe
Sits on the roadside
A single sad sole
That tells the tale
Of a hurried escape
Just ahead of the law
With sirens screaming
And searchlight beams
That blind and shatter
Our holiday dreams

Broken down bus
Southbound lanes
La migra licking their chops
The officer frowns
The cruiser slows down
And quickly comes to a stop

Checking our papers
He lets out a sigh
His face is blurred
Through my only good eye

A scar runs down my cheek
From hairline to chin
The officer thinks I'm a freak
I can tell from his ugly grin

My wife carries our son
Almost the age of three
Born with only one arm
And barely able to see

Everyone escorted from the bus
Onto the cold shoulder of the road
We ran for the arroyo
Baby Luis in tow

Over the fence
Down a small street
Officer calling for back up
As we made our hasty retreat

Through struggle and panic
With fear in our spines
We ran through the frigid air
Until Luis lost his shoe
His brown eyes full of despair

Breaking free, going back
Desperate to pick it up
"Leave it Luis!" I yell to him
But he can only see
The lights on the shoe flashing
Not the helicopter hovering
Nor the border patrol coming

I yank him up
His one arm outstretched
Grasping but fumbling
Unable to lift
That precious little shoe
His only Christmas gift

Now we stand outside the gate
Nogales border crossing
Vindicated by our papers
Making our return
Our presents ripped open
The anger in me burns

Tired...hungry...cold
Our patience wearing thin
Beat up by the system
We'll never go back again

Resolute despite all we've been through
Luis in his mama’s arms crying...
Over his one missing shoe

Which sits cold by the curb
In a town with no children

But thank God for this one kind soul
That proved goodness still abounds
Officer Sandoval US Border Patrol
Reaches into the lost and found
In his hand a pair of size 4
Toddler shoes with lights and sound
A smile spreads across the boys face
Somewhere Santa bellows laughter
The spirit of Christmas has returned

For here...and now...and everafter?

Jesse Alberson

12/22/2013

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