Miguel Piñero (December 19, 1946–June 18, 1988)

Lower East Side pesma

još jednom pre nego što umrem
želim da se popnem
na rodno nebo
da sanjam punim plućima
dok ne zaplačem
a onda neka se moj pepeo raspe
preko Lower East Side-a

od Houston-a do 14th Street-a
od Second Avenue-a do moćnog D-a
tu gde će se prevaranti & smradovi
zajedno sa pederima & freak-ovima
dobro izdrogirati
pepelom rasutim
po Lower East Side-u

nema za mene drugog mesta
nema drugog mesta koje vidim
nema drugog grada osim tog
koji vas do neba diže a dole stalno zadržava
gde se izgladnela ništarija zagreje od topline
“fancy” automobila koji pored prođe
& podvodački barovi & raspali saloni
& masne kašike
sve to uzdiže moj duh
toliko visoko da može da preleti preko
Lower East Side-a

bio sam lopov i “junkie”
počinio svaki zamislivi greh
Jevreji i Neznabošci … Propalice i Ljudi sa stilom …
policija divlje puca na dete u begu …
majčino beskorisno žaljenje … potisnuto

sve se prodaje … “dope” preprodaje
& kokain diluje … puši se trava
ulice su vrele & site onih što do smrti iskrvare …

sve je to istina
sve je to istina
Sve To Jeste istina
ali ipak nije laž
kada tražim da se moj pepeo raspe kroz
Lower East Side

i eto me, gledajte me
ponosno stojim kao što vidite
sretan što potičem sa Lower East-a
čovek ulične borbe
i problem ove zemlje
ja sam Filozof Uma Kriminalca
stanovnik zatvorske ćelije
rak u Rokfelerovom “getocidu”
ovaj betonski grob je moj dom
da bi ste tu pripadali da bi preživeli morate biti jaki
a stidljivi ne smete biti ako za to niste molili
pa će neko već rasuti vaš pepeo
preko Lower East Side-a

ne želim da budem sahranjen u Puerto Rico-u
ne želim da počivam na Long Island groblju
želim da ostanem što bliže probadanju, pucnjavi
kocki, tuči & prisilnoj smrti
& plaču novog rađanja
zato vas molim … kada umrem …
nemojte me nositi daleko
sačuvajte me u blizini
uzmite moj pepeo i respite ga široko svuda preko
Lower East Side-a.

A Lower Eastside Poem

Just once before I die
I want to climb up on a
tenement sky
to dream my lungs out till
I cry
then scatter my ashes thru
the Lower East Side.

So let me sing my song tonight
let me feel out of sight
and let all eyes be dry
when they scatter my ashes thru
the Lower East Side.

From Houston to 14th Street
from Second Avenue to the mighty D
here the hustlers & suckers meet
the faggots & freaks will all get
high
on the ashes that have been scattered
thru the Lower East Side.

There’s no other place for me to be
there’s no other place that I can see
there’s no other town around that
brings you up or keeps you down
no food little heat sweeps by
fancy cars & pimps’ bars & juke saloons
& greasy spoons make my spirits fly
with my ashes scattered thru the
Lower East Side . . .

A thief, a junkie I’ve been
committed every known sin
Jews and Gentiles . . . Bums and Men
of style . . . run away child
police shooting wild . . .
mother’s futile wails . . . pushers

making sales . . . dope wheelers
& cocaine dealers . . . smoking pot
streets are hot & feed off those who bleed to death . . .

all that’s true
all that’s true
all that is true
but this ain’t no lie
when I ask that my ashes be scattered thru
the Lower East Side.

So here I am, look at me
I stand proud as you can see
pleased to be from the Lower East
a street fighting man
a problem of this land
I am the Philosopher of the Criminal Mind
a dweller of prison time
a cancer of Rockefeller’s ghettocide
this concrete tomb is my home
to belong to survive you gotta be strong
you can’t be shy less without request
someone will scatter your ashes thru
the Lower East Side.

I don’t wanna be buried in Puerto Rico
I don’t wanna rest in long island cemetery
I wanna be near the stabbing shooting
gambling fighting & unnatural dying
& new birth crying
so please when I die . . .
don’t take me far away
keep me near by
take my ashes and scatter them thru out
the Lower East Side …

***

Kratka biografija

Osnivač “Nuyorican Poets Cafe”. Dekadetntan u svakom smislu - kako privatno (više puta hapšen, narkomanija …), tako i kao pesnik i dramski pisac zbog problematike kojom se u svojoj poeziji i dramskim tekstovima bavio. Light motiv tekstova je život američkih doseljenika kao što je i sam Piñero - Portorikanac. Osećajem pripadnosti i identiteta ličnosti u savremenoj sredini i drustvu.

Drame:

Eulogy for a Small Time Thief
Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon
Straight from the Ghetto
The Sun Always Shines for the Cool
Short Eyes
“Nuyorican Poetry: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Words and Feelings” (zajedno sa Miguel Algarín)