Hoy Sembraron a José Montoya (General of the RCAF)
© by Nephtalí De León
hoy sembraron
a José Montoya
pilot on a mission
dropping bombs
of rebel art
in the barrios
of Aztlan
he’d show up
in any town
with his crazy
beat up hat
non-traditonal
tandito
sideways
on his head
daring dreamers
childish grin
join the bola
carambola
of the pilots
on a mission
for the daring
cool commission
of the famed
RCAF
Royal Chicano
Air Force !
veterano
sharp Chicano
cool pachuco
school degreed
mental wizard
like the time
someone dropped names
like Américo Parédes
and Montoya just shot back
with a pistol in his hand ?
or the time we were in Milwas
a Chicano killed a Rican
just before we hit Milwaukee
and we thought that
Canto al Pueblo
would have all kinds of escupes
like a wild wild west a’banging
and the bloods demand a hanging !
or the time we were in Lubbock
vanguard of Chicano Lit
tripping with Raúl Tapón Salinas
Abelardo and Tigre Pérez
friendly lion Ricardo Sánchez
and José Antonio Burciaga
looking for a place to sit
on the shrinking
ample floor
looking for a plate
of fiery hot rancheros
in my two room
tiny shack !
Lubbock Eleven!
cried Montoya
wowing
West Texas breed
who in turn
wowed him
right back !
sure enough
we founded RAYAS
Revolución Artística
Y Acción Social !
never got us anywhere
we were too drunk
and too tied up
everyone flying a mission
parachuting without planes !
hoy sembraron
a José Montoya
y los ángeles arriba
put on garras
neatly pressed
crying wildly
ahí viene !
first class !
Pachuco Express
trucha! va ´ver pedo !
hide the gachos
and gabachos
he likes names
call Mutt and Jeff
it’s the General
of the RCAF !