Cinco De Mayo Poem by Mary Naylor

Lindas muchachas* from Mexico,
Adorned with tissue flowers of red,
White and green. Eyes smiling, hands clapping so!
Dance! Dance with Padre Hidalgo. Spread

And swirl your skirts. Do you hear
El Grito de Dolores? ** A shout,
then bells, that ring out, over the years!
FREEDOM! the bells bellowed from their mouths.

Laughing muchachos from Mexico,
In cumberbunds of red, white and green.
Whirl and dance to the Mariachis! Go,
twirl, leap, to the past, unseen!

See General Zaragoza, ***
Who planned to make Mexico free.
Look! General Porfirio Dias, ***
Who brought the French to their knees.

Their weapons, antique artillery,
Soldiers clothed in tattered rags.,
Beat the French with all their wealth, you see.***
So raise the piñatas high and wave your flags!

The USA cheered for Mexico,
For they, too, once battled to be free,
Countries who would rule them, were foe,
So they fought too, and made them flee.****

Beautiful children from Mexico,
Dancing in your costumes of red, white and green.
Dance to honor the heroes of long ago,
And their battles, now unheard and unseen.




*beautiful little girls

**http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gritodedolores

***http: //www.houstonculture.org/mexico/cincodemayo.html

****The United States strongly supported the Mexican government's resistance to the French occupation. It is for this reason that Americans and Mexicans alike share the observance of this battle as a time when the people of both nations recall their struggles to preserve political freedom against the meddling of foreign powers. But, in some ways, Cinco de Mayo has even more significance in the U.S., where it is recognized as an opportunity to celebrate Hispanic culture.

Copyright © by John P. Schmal. Read more articles by John Schmal.
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