Count One’s Blessings
Edgar Ulloa Lujan

For a while,
as a capturista de datos, mom worked
counting coupons for a maquiladora at Nielsen.
Aunt Blanca worked there too before mom,

until, one day, Blanca left
to the United States of America.
She married a Vietnam veteran
who had nightmares of helicopters

For a while mom worked as a capturista de datos.
I counted the time on the fingers of two hands,
waiting in the small green car with my father at midnight
outside, outside. Now,
I am waiting for a green card

inside, inside the parking lot at Nielsen
where Mom worked. She used to come back home with us.
On our way, whoever beat the count
of Volkswagens cars won.