Coke

I am 19
Perspiring
Standing in
The bright sun
Outside the caves
High in the mountains
Above Mexico City when
I see a small truck selling food
To tourists walk up and there are
Iced Cokes in a bucket far too
Tempting to resist so I buy
One pop the lid hold up
The ice-cold bottle to
Gulp it down in one
Swig but halfway
Through I cough
Because the
Coke tastes
Like sweet
Refried
Beans
My
Friend
Laughs at
My innocence
Of Mexican cokes
I splutter trying to get
The taste out of my mouth.
I learned that summer of
1973 a new culture new
Perspective on view a
New set of manners
As life in Mexico
Took me heart
Mind body
And soul
How to
See
A society
Different from
The variations of
America north and south.
Now, 47 years later I no
Longer drink cokes too
Sweet even here on
The far southern
Coast of sunny
California to
Learn a
New
American
Regional society
But I still avoid coke
As I am rather fond of
Iced tea with lime juice.
Old Aztec Coatlicue
Just across the
Border smiles,
The limes
Are her
Own.