Wednesday, October 10, 2012

La Calaca a Day - #10



Taco Poem

Give me tacos or give me death.
My craving is that strong.
I don’t know how I have gone this long
without eating a taco.
I must be incredibly willful.
If you were me, with such an intense taco craving
flooding your mouth with taco-desiring saliva,
by now you’d most definitely have robbed and killed someone
for their taco.
Luckily, you are not me.
Luckily, the taco beast has remained caged between my ribs,
reaching the world only in my groans of taco longing
and in this poem.
These verses have fixed him here
forever.
But later, after I have silenced him with three or four
lunchtime tacos, I might just return to these lines
and delete him.

(Image and article found here - there really is a restaurant in Oakland, CA named La Calaca Loca! And they seem to be still in business....)
(Rebecca is hosting La Calaca a Day for the month of October.  You can participate here.)

16 comments:

  1. I love this! And I haven't even had breakfast yet, and right this moment, I want with every cell of body... a taco. Crisp, delicious, the aguacate and pico de gallo the perfect note of music for the carnitas that I can imagine dancing on my tongue... I am 45 minutes from Oakland and I must find this restaurant... thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Lea - 9 years ago today, I got on a plane in San Francisco to move back to NJ to care for elderly parents. It was heart wrenching as I lived for 30 years in the Bay Area - I still remember trying not to wail and sob on the plane!

      if I were back there now, I'd suggest that we meet and have a taco or 4 at La Calaca Loca, especially since finding good Mexican food out here is near impossible! Unless, of course, I make it myself.

      Both parents are gone now and I would like to return to California since I do consider it my real home - but, maybe up in the Gold Country this time. Although the little town I live in is surrounded by park property and old deciduous woods with a river, deer, groundhogs and other critters, we are still in the urban, tri-state NY metro area and I just crave real quiet, not the temporary lull between planes, trains and the Garden State Parkway!

      I enjoyed your visit - thank you!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Not sure why I'm unknown. It's Shelly! :)

      Delete
    2. I think Blogger acts up more than it would appear!

      Yes, yum tacos - I may make them tonight or just have my comfort food of beans, rice and corn tortillas. Do you get any good Mexican out there, Shelly? That's one of the things I really miss about the West. xoxo

      Delete
  3. I lived in Bay area for many years too...now I'm in Az. where I have also lived for many years....guess that means I am old. anyway LOvE the calaca and tacos too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Age is just a state of mind - before spending those 30 years in the Bay Area (plus an additional 2+ years in SoCal, I spent my first 20 in NJ and now I've been back for 9 years.

      Quick quiz - how old am I? Probably older than you!

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. That entire wall is pretty awesome - wonder if their food is?

      Delete
  5. delphyne you have certainly stirred a few desires with your loco taco la calaca! it's been a long day for me, finally home and i am enjoying receiving all this la calaca love!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you're rested up today, Rebecca! Maybe a taco will give you some sustenance today!

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Love your haiku and calaca, MMT - Don Roberto was, indeed, a wise man!

      Delete
  7. There is a Mexican restaurant in the next town over that serves amazing food. I went to high school with the two daughters of the people who owned it and I never went there then! I've only been there since I've been back here this time around. Their son runs it now. Really really good stuff! And powerful margaritas to boot. :) PS I know how old you are. :D

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