Second Friday at Luna's

A pleasant evening at Luna's Cafe, listening to a variety of local poets. My understanding is that second Friday in April is now a tradition there, where the poets get to read selections written by their favorite poets.

I came to see Gil Rodriguez reprise Artaud, of course (Gil is my next door neighbor and Artaud is one bizarre French poet). Gil is a wonderful performance artist. Tonight Gil needed all his skills: he momentarily forgot his lines and had to improvise Artaud. He did it without apparent flaws, which is something performers have a hard time doing unless they really know their material well, which Gil does.

Jose Montoya was among the poets there (he is apparently well-known in Sacramento). Montoya asked violinist Arturo Balderrama to accompany him with a Yaqui tune. That sparked a memory from my days in Tucson, in the mid-80's.

Near I-10 in Tucson, just off W. Grant and behind the smog inspection station, there is a distinct barrio (Pascua) where many Yaqui Indians live. The Yaquis, originally from Sonora, were refugees from the Mexican Revolution, and had established the barrio on what was then the fringe of Tucson. 20th Century growth engulfed the barrio as the city limits expanded, but the place remained where it was, quite distinct. My customary jogging path ran right in-between the smog inspection station and the barrio.

One day, perhaps during Holy Week, I was jogging past the barrio when I suddenly noticed a number of Yaqui men, in full ceremonial Indian regalia, dancing in a line to the sound of tribal drums. I tried to jog past without drawing attention, but the Yaquis saw me approach. They broke their line dance, rushed up, and in full Indian dress, began jogging in an exaggerated way to the sound of the drums right beside me.

What a dramatic collision between new-fangled modern ways and ancient traditional ways! The Yaquis were mocking me! I didn't know, however, whether to be angry or to just laugh out loud! I smiled at them and continued jogging. After a while, the Yaquis broke off, and we parted ways, with a few waves and slight smiles. Certainly made an impression on me! The past lives with us still, modern city or not. May we all have the grace and the will to pass on traditional ways to the young, and from them to their young, ad infinitum! May we all mock the present!