By Brent E. Beltrán

This is for those that came before
The ones that paved the way
Blazed the trail
And beat the path

This is for he, she
You, me
Everybody in this neighborhood
         We

This is for the park builders
The pillar painters
Sculpture makers
Cactus garden caretakers

For the culture bringers
Wordslingers
Music makers
And taco caterers

This is for Alu and the Cilantro Man
Toltecas and CACAistas
Centroites and Calaqueros y as
Wetback Scorpions and Romantics

This is for he, she
You, me
Everybody in this barrio
         We

This is for the Ruse
For the taco readers
And word eaters
For those en Voz Alta

This is for the Delicate Ones
The Serpent Shouters
Teatristas Con/Safos
And the Able Minded

This is for the feathers flying
The sage and copal
The dancing chachayotes
The call of the drum

This is for he, she
You, me
Everybody in this community
         We

This is for The Spot
La Bodega dreams
Chicano Art Galleries
And the Taco King

This is for the border crossers
The nightstick recipients
The pollution breathers
And all the DREAMers

This is for the Bullfighters
The Cosmic one
The Cheese
And all that paint what they please

This is for the gente-fiers
The community builders
The stand up
And don’t take no shitters

This is for he, she
You, me
Everybody on these streets
         We

This is for the wordcrafters
And lovers
The family beer brewers
And all the others

This is for the medicine smokers
The curb hopping chair users
Those fighting the polluters
And all of us that hear the morning roosters

This is for the seeds
That grow Roots in the Factory
The netcast Pulses
Made with Bread & Salt

This is for these streets
This community
This barrio
These people

This is for he, she
You, me
Everybody in this room
         We

And tonight 
These words 
Spoken behind this mic
Are for Steve Kowit

This poem was written the morning of April 2, 2015 for the inaugural Poetic Libations reading at Border X Brewing in Barrio Logan. It was written to honor the barrio cultural warriors who created the artistic space for something like Poetic Libations to happen. Shortly after it was written the author learned of the passing of local literary legend Steve Kowit. The reading was held in his honor and the last stanza was added to reflect that. Rest in power, Steve Kowit.

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Brent E. Beltrán

Brent E. Beltrán is a third generation pocho and second generation San Diegan that lives next door to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan. He's married to his warrior healer wife Olympia and is the proud father of a youngling name Sandino. Brent is a member of the SDFP Editorial Board, occasionally writes the column Desde la Logan and posts Looking Back at the Week every Sunday morning. He can be contacted at desdelalogan@gmail.com and through his Twitter account @DesdeLaLogan.

Latest posts by Brent E. Beltrán (see all)

• Looking Back at the Week: October 21-27 - October 28, 2018
• Looking Back at the Week: October 14-20 - October 21, 2018
• Looking Back at the Week: October 7-13 - October 14, 2018