You tell me to become one with the border
what does that mean--to become one with the border--
what is that, to border yourself?
maybe it's having coffee with donuts
at dona estela's
talking about punks, the deconstruction of the border
dressing rigorously counterculture
hauling buckets of water on your back
because of the shortage
sleeping under the stars surrounded by cardboard boxes
with rats gnawing every corner
--what does it mean to border yourself, man
because I don't understand the allusion
bullfighting the ones that run a hundred miles an hour
against the matador's red cape of life
crossing to avoid the thieves who accost you
leaving your children with your mother
while you take care of foreign ones
--what does it mean--to border yourself--

the seven hundred maquiladoras that spew their toxic shit
so that those in the third world
are poisoned
talking about bilateral agreements
so that children without hope
drink water that eats away their guts
talking about ecosystems
because those who are fucked
don't understand the term
--what does it mean to become one with the border--
manito

what is to border yourself?

Note: maquiladoras:  factories known to pollute


Translated by J. C. Todd and Ivón Gordon Vailakis

---

Me dijiste que me fronterizara
-qué es fronterizase-
-qué es fronterizarme-
acaso es echarse un café con donas
en doña estela
hablar de punkismo, de la descontrucción de la frontera
vestirte requete antisistema
o cargar cubos de agua en la espalda
por la escasez
dormir bajo las estrellas rodeado de carton
con las ratas merodeando cada esquina
-qué es fronterizarse manito-
porque no entiendo la alusion
de torear a los de cien por hora
con la capa de la vida
de cruzar y evitar a los rateros que te acosan
de dejar tus hijos con tu mama para que te los cuide
mientras tu cuidas a los extraños
-qué es fronterizarse-

las setecientas maquiladoras que echan su mierda tóxica
para que los terceristas
se intoxiquen
hablar de pactos bilaterales
para que los niños sin esperanza
beban el agua que carcome sus tripas
o hablar de ecosistemas
porque los que están jodidos
no entienden el término
manito

qué es fronterizarse