The Deadly Passage of the All-American Canal

This is the first thread in the Poetic Journalism Forum, This is a story I felt needed to be told after hearing this newscast.

Commentary:
This poem was inspired by the CSB Story 'The Deadly Passage of the All-American Canal'. 'Over 550 People Have Drowned in What One Expert Calls Probably the Most Dangerous Body of Water in the U.S.'

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/30/60minutes/main6448631.shtml

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6453537n&tag=contentMain;contentBody



The Tragic Tale of Alejandro Vega


Congregate Friends,
and I will spin you a yarn

Of an immigrant named, Alejandro

He's a father of six,
and a man of good standing

Calls his home, Ciudad de Puerto Penasco


A north Mexican town,
a border town at that

Violence and Murder, were rising

How do you protect a family,
when you've lost all hope

And without your morals compromising


Alejandro devised a plan,
but the road alone he must take

He's headin out, north to the border

He exclaimed to his wife Maria,
'If I dont come back"

'Never you forget me" he ordered


He loved his six children,
and kissed them all long

Left with all the food and water he could carry

He peers over his shoulder,
to look one last time

To know this could be the last made him wary


For ten days and nights,
he worked his way to the border

Mexican desert days are a scortchin'

Alejandro took ill,
But he must make good time

If caught, the Cartel would easily torch him


His devotion paid off,
In view, the All-American Canal

He mustered the strength to celebrate arrival

Little did he know,
that the story would go

Soon he would be battling for his survival


The other side of the canal,
freedom within his grasp

Just a few yards he needed to be a swimmin'

As Alejandro jumped in,
He paddled with all of his might

but soon his strength began to a dimmin'


Alejandro fought the good fight,
but his body gave out

his last thoughts turned to his wife and his children

Tears covered by the waves,
Fear escaping his mind

His final thought...never again would he hold 'em


The first reservoir in the canal,
collects the bodies of the dead

Of all of the souls who perished there before him

Alejandro's body was pulled out,
On the American side

Finally at dusk, he'd found his freedom


At the All-American Canal,
Hidden away is a gravyard

Where the body of Alejandro Vega lays a rottin'

Hundreds of graves numbered,
all go by John Doe

A cemetary for the souls of the forgotten


The children asked Maria,
'What happened to Papa'

He left us about this time last season

She looked in thier eyes,
and said 'Babies he'll be fine'

She couldnt bear to tell them the reason

http://www.originalpoetry.com/the-tragic-tale-of-alejandro-vega


Be it serious, humourous, satirical whatever, I ask that if you are inspired by a story such as I was, and you feel others need to hear this, please keep this forum going and post it here for all to see.

-Spence

Last edited by SuSpence 05-05-2010 at 11:58:32 AM