Stilled scenes
Repeat like a DVD’s title menu song.
The same clips
Backed by a somber, bittersweet melody.
Incarnación’s giggles
And her face soaked in exhaustion.
José’s dancing
And his surveying gaze over the cloud forest.
Andrés and Luben getting haircuts in the garden
And chasing after their malnourished dog.
Happiness was not overtly evident,
But daily life wore on,
Survival with a hint of joy,
Purpose behind each movement.
A few steps away from thriving,
But the tortilla-making
Broccoli-farming
Chicken-butchering
Hill-trekking
Continued day in, day out.
Do you like living here?
Not so much
With the dangers of the mountain.
That family of four
Keepin’ on keepin’ on
As they know how
And as they wish for more.