A Sonnet for Elvira, Mistress of the Macabre: No. 4

by Juan Perez

There she is sitting pretty

On the 80s screen of a pawn shop, bought TV

There she is sitting dishy

On an old, gothic-looking, velvet, red couch

There she is sitting delightfully

On a life-sized, cutout, beer advertisement 

There she is sitting lovely

In a fine reading, comic book series

There she is sitting elegantly

          In a gothic, pageant contest of her likeness

There she is sitting gorgeously

Signing autographs for throngs of nostalgic people

There she is sitting exquisitely 

          Next to a backwoods-smiling me in a pricy, fan photo

Juan Manuel Pérez, a Mexican-American poet of indigenous descent and the current Poet Laureate for Corpus Christi, Texas (2019–2020), is the author of Another Menudo Sunday (2007), O' Dark Heaven: A Response to Suzette Haden Elgin's Definition of Horror (2009), WUI: Written Under the Influence of Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. (2011), Live From La Pryor: The Poetry of Juan Manuel Perez: A Zavala Country Native Son, Volume 1 (2014), and Sex, Lies, and Chupacabras (2015), as well as, the co-editor of The Call Of The Chupacabra (2018). He is the 2011–2012 San Antonio Poets Association Poet Laureate and the Lone Star State's only EL Chupacabras Poet Laureate (For Life). The former Gourd Dancer for the Memphis Tia Piah Big River Clan Warrior Society is also a Pushcart Prize Nominee as well as a SEATTAH Scholar (Striving For Excellence And Accountability In The Teaching Of Traditional American History) through the University Of Dallas. Juan is a ten-year Navy Corpsman/Combat Marine Medic with experience in the 1991 Persian Gulf War with the 2nd Marines and the 1992 Hurricane Andrew Relief Marine Air Group Task Force. This two-time Teacher of the Year, along with his wife, Malia (a three-time Teacher of the Year), is a co-founder of The House of the Fighting Chupacabras Press. Currently, Juan worships his Creator, teaches public high school history, writes poetry, and chases chupacabras in the Texas Coastal Bend Area.

His latest collection, SCREW THE WALL! AND OTHER BROWN PEOPLE POEMS, is forthcoming from FlowerSong Books.