Latin musical pulsating through the street

People dancing salsa to the beat

Old men in guayaberas playing dominoes on lawn chairs

Women gossiping in Spanish on the porch stairs

All the kids playing futbol in the grass

Relatives, friends, strangers all bypass

Girls fanning themselves in the heat

"It's worse here than back home!" comments one with an accent

They all laugh along and see a friend. "Hey! Carmen! Pull up a seat!"

It's Sunday, no worries, not even about making rent

The whole barrio gathers on the block

Though we're in America,

The language, most of the elders still haven't learn how to talk

"No need," they say

"All my friends are Hispanic anyway!"

Though it's close, it's still different from back home

But we had always known

The longing for the islands we have numbed

Because if we had cared

We wouldn't have come

We're a far place from our homelands, sure

And though we may say otherwise

We all know it's just a lie

Because we know we're finally home