#50 Backstory of the Poem "For Gilberto Ramos, 15, Who Died in the Texas Desert, June 2014" by Joseph Ross . . .

Chris Rice Cooper 

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***This is the fiftieth in a never-ending series called BACKSTORY OF THE POEM where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific poem and how the poet wrote that specific poem.  All BACKSTORY OF THE POEM links are at the end of this piece. 

#50 Backstory of the Poem "For Gilberto Ramos, 15, Who Died in the Texas Desert, June 2014." 

By Joseph Ross

Can you go through the step-by-step process of writing this poem from the moment the idea was first conceived in your brain until final form?   In July of 2014, I was visiting relatives in Southern California and spending a few vacation days in Palm Springs. While there, I read an article about Gilberto Ramos (Above Right), a fifteen year-old Guatemalan boy who recently

died in the Texas desert (Left) having crossed the border from Mexico into the United States. He was trying to reach his

brother who already lived here. I read that his mother placed a rosary around his neck when he left Guatemala and that rosary provided  the only way his body could be identified. I remember scribbling down all the details the article contained and I began to write the poem that night. I too had a mother who regularly prayed the rosary so I felt a kind of kinship to this young boy. 

I tried to imagine the sorrow of a mother as she sends her second son off into the world for a better shot at life. I tried to imagine the horrific way this boy must have died: thirsty, hungry, and alone. I knew I wanted to create an elegy to remember him. I am a deep believer in elegies, in their ability to bring someone back

to us, someone whose physical life has ended. I believe the elegy has a kind of resurrection power. While it does not literally bring a person back to life, it does bring them back in a real way, into our imagination, our consciousness, our hearts. I hoped a poem about Gilberto Ramos would do

this. While I usually revise poems for months, this poem got only a few revisions and within a few weeks, I sent it to the Los Angeles Times (Left) who published it in August, 2014. It later became the closing poem in my third book, ACHE, from Sibling Rivalry Press. Since its publication, many people have asked me to read it at readings, it has been re-published several times. I hope the story of this young boy and his mother might open our hearts a bit.

Where were you when you started to actually write the poem?  And please describe the place in great detail.   I began writing “For Gilberto Ramos” sitting by a pool on a 90-degree morning in Palm Spring, California. I had a cup of coffee and a plate with toast and jelly on the table with my notebook. I start most of my poems with a black pen, on paper. 

The morning was silent except for the darting of hummingbirds around the desert flowers in the gardens around me. I remember the morning very well because the poem seemed to come out of my pen so easily.

How many drafts of this poem did you write before going to the final? (And can you share a photograph of your rough drafts with pen markings on it?)   I recall that there were three or four drafts of this poem but it came out initially in basically the same form it ended in. I made a few changes to the initial draft, but, unusual for me, my first draft nearly became the final draft, very few edits.

Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts of this poem that were not in the final version?  And can you share them with us?   I initially had a few lines describing what Gilberto Ramos’ death might have been like. I tried to imagine his hands on the desert sand. The more I looked at those lines I realized the poem needed restraint, not hype. This boy’s death was awful enough. I remembered that simple descriptions would touch the reader more than intensity. The truth was, as we say, bad enough. (Left:  Clothes that Gilberto Ramos was wearing at the time of his death)

    

What do you want readers of this poem to take from this poem?   I am struck by the fear and anger at immigrants all over the world. Whether people are fleeing war in Syria to get to Europe, or whether they are fleeing from Sub-Saharan Africa trying to cross the Mediterranean, or whether they

are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America to get into the United States, I don’t understand the fear and anger.  I don’t understand the ownership some people seem to feel about their own land. None of us chose to be born in the country of our birth. None of us owns the land in which we live. 

So how to people get so righteous and angry about poor people fleeing from conditions any of us would also flee?  What do I want readers to take from this poem? I hope the poem might stir up more compassion and perhaps even love for those whose lives are in danger. I hope the poem might open up a reader to consider this boy, a young boy, his mother, any mother, to more kindness and patience than we normally show people we think are strangers.

    

Which part of the poem was the most emotional of you to write and why?   These lines hurt me to read: “But Texas does not / know these prayers. It knows // that desert air is thirsty / and you are made of water. // It drank you slowly.”

Anything you would like to add?   I would just add that I believe in the power of poetry to move us and to make us better people. I have experienced this in my own life. When I read poems by Martin Espada, Naomi Shihab Nye, Langston Hughes, among others, I have been changed and I hope some of my poems can offer that to readers as well.

For Gilberto Ramos, 15, Who Died in the Texas Desert, June 2014

By Joseph Ross

Before you left, your mother

draped you with 50 Hail Marys,

a rosary of white wood,

a constellation she hoped might

guide you. But Texas does not

know these prayers. It knows

that desert air is thirsty

and you are made of water.

It drank you slowly. Your name

only linked to your body by the string

of aves still around your neck,

the small cross pressing against your

wooden skin, the color of another cross.

You left home on May 17

with one change of clothes and two

countries ahead of you, your brother's

phone number hidden on the back

of your belt buckle so the coyote

couldn't find it. The coyotes pray

in the language of extortion.

The phone number was eventually

found by a Texas official whose name

your brother couldn't remember. She called

and spoke in the language of bones. He translated

her news into "pray for us, sinners,

now and at the hour of our death."

His prayer meant "brother," a word

he kept moist, just beneath his tongue.

Joseph Ross is the author of three books of poetry: Ache (2017), Gospel of Dust (2013) and Meeting Bone Man (2012). His poems appear in many anthologies and journals, including Xavier Review, The Southern Quarterly, and The Los Angeles Times.  (Right:  Joseph Ross during a poetry reading in August of 2018.  Copyright permission granted by Joseph Ross for this CRC Blog Post Only) 

He teaches English and Creative Writing at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. (Left) and writes regularly at www.JosephRoss.net

BACKSTORY OF THE POEM LINKS

001  December 29, 2017

Margo Berdeshevksy’s “12-24”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem.html

002  January 08, 2018

Alexis Rhone Fancher’s “82 Miles From the Beach, We Order The Lobster At Clear Lake Café”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem.html

003 January 12, 2018

Barbara Crooker’s “Orange”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem_12.html

004 January 22, 2018

Sonia Saikaley’s “Modern Matsushima”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-fourth-installment-of-new-crc-blog.html

005 January 29, 2018

Ellen Foos’s “Side Yard”

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/5-backstory-of-poem-sidewalk-by-ellen.html

006 February 03, 2018

Susan Sundwall’s “The Ringmaster”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/6-backstory-of-poem-susan-sundwalls.html

007 February 09, 2018

Leslea Newman’s “That Night”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/7-backstory-of-poem-that-night-by.html

008 February 17, 2018

Alexis Rhone Fancher “June Fairchild Isn’t Dead”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/8-backstory-of-poem-june-fairchild-isnt.html

009 February 24, 2018

Charles Clifford Brooks III “The Gift of the Year With Granny”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/9-backstory-of-poem-gift-of-year-with.html

010 March 03, 2018

Scott Thomas Outlar’s “The Natural Reflection of Your Palms”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/chris-ricecooper-caccoopaol.html

011 March 10, 2018

Anya Francesca Jenkins’s “After Diane Beatty’s Photograph “History Abandoned”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/11-backstory-of-poem-after-diane.html

012  March 17, 2018

Angela Narciso Torres’s “What I Learned This Week”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/12-backstory-of-poem-series-angela.html

013 March 24, 2018

Jan Steckel’s “Holiday On ICE”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/13-backstory-of-poem-jan-steckels.html

014 March 31, 2018

Ibrahim Honjo’s “Colors”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/14-backstory-of-poem-ibrahim-honjos.html

015 April 14, 2018

Marilyn Kallett’s “Ode to Disappointment”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/04/15-backstory-of-poem-ode-to_14.html

016  April 27, 2018

Beth Copeland’s “Reliquary”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/04/16-backstory-of-poem-reliquary-by-beth.html

017  May 12, 2018

Marlon L Fick’s “The Swallows of Barcelona”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/05/17-backstory-of-poem-swallows-of.html

018  May 25, 2018

Juliet Cook’s “ARTERIAL DISCOMBOBULATION”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/05/18-backstory-of-poem-arterial.html

019  June 09, 2018

Alexis Rhone Fancher’s “Stiletto Killer. . . A Surmise”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/06/19-backstory-of-poem-stiletto-killer.html

020 June 16, 2018

Charles Rammelkamp’s “At Last I Can Start Suffering”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/06/20-backstory-of-poem-at-least-i-can.html

021  July 05, 2018

Marla Shaw O’Neill’s “Wind Chimes”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/21-backstory-of-poem-wind-chimes-by.html

022 July 13, 2018

Julia Gordon-Bramer’s “Studying Ariel”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/22-backstory-of-poem-studying-ariel-by.html

023 July 20, 2018

Bill Yarrow’s “Jesus Zombie”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/23-backstory-of-poem-jesus-zombie-by.html

024  July 27, 2018

Telaina Eriksen’s “Brag 2016”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/24-backstory-of-poem-brag-2016-by.html

025  August 01, 2018

Seth Berg’s “It is only Yourself that Bends – so Wake up!”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/25-backstory-of-poem-it-is-only.html

026  August 07, 2018

David Herrle’s “Devil In the Details”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/26-backstory-of-poem-devil-in-details.html

027  August 13, 2018

Gloria Mindock’s “Carmen Polo, Lady Necklaces, 2017”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/27-backstory-of-poem-carmen-polo-lady.html

028  August 21, 2018

Connie Post’s “Two Deaths”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/28-backstory-of-poem-two-deaths-by.html

029  August 30, 2018

Mary Harwell Sayler’s “Faces in a Crowd”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/29-backstory-of-poem-faces-in-crowd-by.html

030 September 16, 2018

Larry Jaffe’s “The Risking Point”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/09/30-backstory-of-poem-risking-point-by.html

031  September 24, 2018

Mark Lee Webb’s “After We Drove”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/09/31-backstory-of-poem-after-we-drove-by.html

032  October 04, 2018

Melissa Studdard’s “Astral”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/32-backstory-of-poem-astral-by-melissa.html

033 October 13, 2018

Robert Craven’s “I Have A Bass Guitar Called Vanessa”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/33-backstory-of-poem-i-have-bass-guitar.html

034  October 17, 2018

David Sullivan’s “Paper Mache Peaches of Heaven”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/34-backstory-of-poem-paper-mache.html

035 October 23, 2018

Timothy Gager’s “Sobriety”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/35-backstory-of-poem-sobriety-by.html

036  October 30, 2018

Gary Glauber’s “The Second Breakfast”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/36-backstory-of-poem-second-breakfast.html

037  November 04, 2018

Heather Forbes-McKeon’s “Melania’s Deaf Tone Jacket”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/37-backstory-of-poem-melanias-deaf-tone.html

038 November 11, 2018

Andrena Zawinski’s “Women of the Fields”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/38-backstory-of-poem-women-of-fields-by.html

039  November 00, 2018

Gordon Hilger’s “Poe”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/39-backstory-of-poem-poe-by-gordon.html

040 November 16, 2018

Rita Quillen’s “My Children Question Me About Poetry” and “Deathbed Dreams”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/40-backstory-of-poems-my-children.html

041 November 20, 2018

Jonathan Kevin Rice’s “Dog Sitting”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/41-backstory-of-poem-dog-sitting-by.html

042 November 22, 2018

Haroldo Barbosa Filho’s “Mountain”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/42-backstory-of-poem-mountain-by.html

043  November 27, 2018

Megan Merchant’s “Grief Flowers”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/43-backstory-of-poem-grief-flowers-by.html

044 November 30, 2018

Jonathan P Taylor’s “This poem is too neat”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/44-backstory-of-poem-poem-is-too-neat.html

045  December 03, 2018

Ian Haight’s “Sungmyo for our Dead Father-in-Law”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/045-backstory-of-poem-sungmyo-for-our.html

046 December 06, 2018

Nancy Dafoe’s “Poem in the Throat”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/046-backstory-of-poem-poem-registering.html

047 December 11, 2018

Jeffrey Pearson’s “Memorial Day”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/47-backstory-of-poem-memorial-day-by.html

048  December 14, 2018

Frank Paino’s “Laika”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/48-backstory-of-poem-laika-by-frank.html

049  December 15, 2018

Jennifer Martelli’s “Anniversary”

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/49-backstory-of-poem-anniversary-by.html

O50  December 19, 2018

Joseph Ross’s “For Gilberto Ramos, 15, Who Died in the Texas Desert, June 2014
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/50-backstory-of-poem-for-gilberto-ramos.html