Born in California

A cluster of cacti rest on
this dew laden porch
atop Oakland hills
toppling the ocean's edge

San Francisco and stories
of Grandpa's youthful
adventure to these waters
first vistas on my mind
wondering about the moment
he decided to marry
to always talk about and remember
California

words passed on to a wife
and then to a son
who one day left a Mexican village
as a young man
as other
migrants do
and in time brought the widow
and the sister who another day
met and married my father
and had me in California.