La Esquina de Mi Barrio

On the corner of my neighborhood there's a store
called 'The Illusion of the Future',
next to it is Rosenda's eatery
that on Sundays adds sesame to the mole.

In front is the pharmacy 'The Aspirin',
where my mom fills her prescriptions;
next to it is the bar 'My Office'
where my dad cures his ailments
and then 'The Best', the butcher shop,
where Don Baltasar sells the sirloin.

It's the corner of my neighborhood, friends,
a place of unmatched movement;
buses, pedestrians, and dogs
can't cross it without difficulty.

When there haven't been accidents, there have been injuries
or some fool that the bus has splattered,
sometimes there are only shouts and whistles
or you can hear the troubadour cylinder.
Across the street, where the pulqueria is,
there's a stand selling boiling tripas;
outside, the police are always there
and that's where the loader has his barracks.

On this side, 'La Cucaracha' sells bread
followed by the blinds of the pool hall;
'The Tarife' parked his jalopy there
because he arrives with his buddies to play,
Don Fernando is following a girl
and Lupita, his wife, is right behind.

It's the corner of my neighborhood, friends,
the place where I lost my love;
where yesterday a lantern shone like a star
it was broken and they ran away.

And the corner consoles me in my bitterness
with its laughter, its noise, and its splendor;
the garbage truck arrives
and among all the waste... goes my love.