Poem by Melissa Nunez inspired by Texas gun and alcohol laws.
In Texas you can order alcohol
to go. Drive with bottle
in holder, in hand. Just don’t sip.
In Texas you can carry a gun,
hidden or on display, license-free.
Just don’t storm. In Texas you can walk or drive
across the border as long as you wave the right
flag, hold the right
papers, ones that say you’re not
taking work from US, that say you are willing
to siphon plasma from your veins. Just don’t stay.
Work long and hard—heart-deep—give enough
of your life’s blood. And we’ll probably send you back anyway.
Melissa Nunez is an avid reader, writer and homeschooling mother of three. She lives in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas—a predominantly Latin@ community. She writes both essays and poetry inspired by observation of the natural world, the dynamics of relationships, and the question of belonging. Her work has been featured in FOLIO, Yellow Arrow Journal, and others.
Image by Andreas Dress