Middle Name Limbo
A poem by Juan Luzuriaga

Middle Name Limbo

I got lost on the way to the New World.
Somewhere between the Pacific and the Atlantic.
Somewhere between “What’s the purpose of your visit?”
and the Welcome to Florida sign.

I was guapo and proud, suave and fast
Now I am the unpronounceable ghost
haunting memories of caramel street cries
Breadman yelling, “The vitamin has arrived.”
children selling grosellas at traffic lights,
warm spirals of merengue beats,
shared bottles, aguardiente laughter on repeat,
I am beyond deficient now.

Tired of confused eyebrows
and coaching people’s tongues,
“What?” “How do you say it again?”
Are contortionist lips required?
I am in oceanic limbo
and unlike the fish from our coast,
these are silent.

But I will keep haunting
until someone finds the dead body that fell into the sea,
so I can hear the name uttered one last time
and stop existing with one leg on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic.

About the Author:

Juan Luzuriaga is a writer based in Merced, California. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and immigrated to the US in 2000. His interest lies in exploring a spiritual connection with his ancestors through prose and poetry. He teaches poetry in prisons and at California Poets in the Schools. He has been published in The Merced County Times (2022), The Vernal Pool (2021-22), Matchbox Magazine (2023), and Cholla Needles (2023).

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