Salvadoran Woman Killed on Fillmore Street

by Daisy Zamora
translated by George Evans

She ran as fast as she could, she
shouted into the void, Oh God —
she worked so hard that day —
tightly held her purse against
her breast, then fell
in a pool of blood.

Afterwards, the kids told the police:
We didn’t want to stab her we were just
desperate we only wanted her money
but she screamed so hard
she scared the hell out, she really
scared the hell out of us.

Her children were devastated, their
only support she worked double shifts
that day had forty bucks in her purse
they were waiting for her on the way
to the grocery store it was New Year’s Eve,
end of the Millennium.

The newspaper also published the menu
of the dinner
                        the Mayor of San Francisco
                        was giving that night.

Of the many delicacies listed
                        was
                        wild salmon fillets
                        sprinkled with genuine gold
                                                              dust.