Sometimes...

you got
to bite your
tongue because your
tongue can get out of line
at times

like when you
get into an elevator

and 5 people who
don't speak english
get on

and they don't know
where they're
going

and proceed to
hit all the buttons
on the elevator

and you get upset
about that, as well as
as the fact that you
only speak english through
no fault of your own

sometimes you got
to catch yourself
as the elevator goes up,
then down

Don't be like that,
you tell yourself as the
folks get off, leaving traces
of their given tongues in
the air

my Grandma was
an immigrant

My Grandpa
too

Their
voices immigrate through
the door and through my
ears

their voices
ring through time
and space

Don't be like that,
they say in their
mother tongue

their words
push my
buttons

and the rest
of the buttons on
the elevator

(c) Tony Robles 2015