WEBVTT

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This next one, I cannot
believe I'm about to do it

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the University of
Arizona Poetry Center.

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But I was asked to, so I will.

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But before I do that, I want to
say, thank you, U of A Poetry

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Center for having me.

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It really is truly an honor, not
only to be invited here today,

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but to be invited to work
with our young people

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in Poetry Out Loud.

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And it's a responsibility
I take very seriously.

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And it's an honor.

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And it's an honor to have the
University of Arizona Poetry

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Center in Tucson.

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Because this is a nationwide
respected place, right?

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This is like
international caliber,

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what we have right here.

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So give it up for the
Poetry Center, right now.

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[APPLAUSE]

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And this poem is called "Epic
Tale of Love in Tucson."

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Ah.

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[LAUGHTER]

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Yeah, some of you have heard it.

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"They came from two
different sides of town,

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from two powerful families,
each a legend in Tucson.

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On the days when the heat is
a sixth sense, a searing hello

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of morning breath, a middle
finger stuck in your armpit,

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Tucson has no choice but to
turn to one family or the other

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for relief on those days.

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It is either got to be
an Eegee's or a raspado.

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[LAUGHTER]

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And these two families, they
stay locked in a constant

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give and take.

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Two families in a constant cold
war for the hearts and palates

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of Tucson during summertime.

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A war that got hotter than
100 degree day in October.

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The day that it happened, when
these two star passed lovers

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finally met.

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Yes, this is the story,
and the poem about the day

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that the raspado and the
Eegee's fell in love.

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Downright cold, from
two different worlds,

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the Eegee's fell
for the raspado,

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and the raspado for the Eegee's,

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- Y sus familias no
estaban de acuerdo,

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pero los amantes se juraban que
eran de una nueva generación

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que no sería
marcado por el odio.

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No.

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No había manera de
deshacer el amor.

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No.

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Even if miscegenation
laws had tried

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to ban such unions in Arizona
until 1959, - No, digo si. Su amor triunfara. Si.

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Yes, it was a hot day
on West St Mary's"--

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where there's an Eegee's less
than a block from donde los

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raspados, just saying.

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"There they were.

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Their eyes met, and they began
condensating profusely, staring

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into each other's cups,
swooning through Styrofoam.

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[LAUGHTER]

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- Derritiendo con el deseo.

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Their love burned
and they melted.

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It was still over 100
degrees in October.

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But it was not the heat.

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It was that they were in love.

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De verdad, their
bond was so tight

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that railroad tracks could
not come between them.

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Their adobe love stood so strong
that not even a TCC parking lot

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could pave them over.

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Their unity was so united
that they both made

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fun of the $5 smoothie
place downtown,

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offering bougie
ingredients like spirulina.

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Hah!

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Nutrition.

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Hah!

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The raspado and the Eegee's have
no time for such seriousness,

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as they are in love.

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[LAUGHTER]

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And their love was long, like
lines at the liquor store

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drive-through.

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[LAUGHTER]

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- Bueno.

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Dice que el Eegee's nació después de un
intento fallido de unos gringos

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a hacer un

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shaved ice in the back of a
trailer, pero no importa.

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Por aquí caray.

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The feud between
these two families

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was nothing compared
to their love.

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And so, together, they
protested the health department.

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They spoke truth to
the school board,

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asking for both
of their histories

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to be taught in the classroom.

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But most of all, wherever
they slushed, they dreamed.

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- Sí amigos.

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Cómo soñaban.

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Of a day when the rompope could
stomp with the strawberry.

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When the beso de ángel could
smooch with the lemonade.

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When the watermelon could
walk with a tamarindo.

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When the jungle juice would quit
being such a frat boy cliche.

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When the ? [iced tea Eegee's
?] could bounce con el café.

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Of a day when the
coco could hand

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hold the hand of black
strawberry in public.

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Of a day when the Eegee's
piña colada could marry a piña

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colada raspado.

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[LAUGHTER]

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Yes!

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Love is love is love.

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And they dreamed in
solidarity with all dreamers.

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They came from two
different families,

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from two different
sides of town,

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until love opened their eyes.

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And they started to see Eegee's
and raspado joints everywhere.

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Except for the foothills.

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[LAUGHTER]

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Their love opened
their eyes and they

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realized that only in Tucson
could these two sides meet.

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Yes, only on 22nd Street
could the tuna salad

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put down its fists and
embrace the carne asada.

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Yes, only in Tucson--

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where we like our iced
drinks so damn complex

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we have to eat them
with a spoon, where

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we like our [? mestizaje ?] cool
and naturally flavored.

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Yes, we are Tuscon.

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We stand with the forbidden
love of the raspado

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and the Eegee's and we choose
to celebrate them both.

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We are Arizona.

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Yes, there is a hate.

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But it is a dry hate.

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But we will quench that hate
as only a raspeegee's can.

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Yeah, I said it--

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raspeegee's.

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No 7-11 Círculo K squishy,
Slurpee, wannabee drink.

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No!

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Raspeegee's! ¡Sí! ¡Que viva el
amor! ¡Que vivan los amantes!

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¡Que long live raspeegee's!"

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[APPLAUSE]

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