Lisa Alvarado

Lisa Alvarado is an educator, poet, novelist, and journalist. She is the founder of La Onda Negra Press, and is author of Reclamo and The Housekeeper’s Diary, originally a book of poetry and now a one-woman performance. Her first novel, Sister Chicas (written with Ann Hagman Cardinal and Jane Alberdeston) was bought by Penguin/NAL, and released in April 2006. Sister Chicas is a coming of age story concerning the lives of three young Latinas living in Chicago. Sister Chicas won 2nd place Best First Novel in English (Latino Literacy Now/2007) Her book of poetry, Raw Silk Suture was released in 2008 by Floricanto Press, and was reviewed by Rigoberto Gonzalez. She has curated multimedia exhibits and mounted her own multimedia piece, Reclamo in the Pilsen art corridor in Chicago; and is currently a contributor to the nationally touring exhibit, Re-imagining the Distaff Toolkit, curated by Ricki Solinger/SUNY. Lisa is the recipient of grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs, The NEA, and the Ragdale Foundation. In Fall, 2009, she was honored as Hispanic Author of the Year by the State of Illinois.

Lisa Alvarado

Bad Dog

 

What they forget to tell you,

what they never tell you,

is that bad dogs

remember they are wolves.

 

I am a bad dog.

I do not listen.

I do not heel.

I lope under the bone white bowl.

I find the trail and paw pale snow.

I sniff frost, black dirt, night air.

 

No collar around my throat.

Slipper fetching failed.

I never passed as pet.

I bare my teeth, a grin.