The Morning the Men Talked About Quinceañeras
Elizabeth N. Flores
May 4, 2025
The men, all fathers, met for breakfast
at Town & Country Cafe to offer guidance
to their youngest compadre.
It was a time to listen, Hector thought,
to the wise men who once stood where he stands now,
providing a quinceañera for his eldest daughter.
Quinceañeras are so expensive they’ll break you
if you’re not careful. Don’t let your wife or daughter
hear you say that, but the truth must be told.
Your daughter may defy tradition
and not want to wear your wife’s
quinceañera dress because she prefers
a dress that can only be ordered
through something called Etsy.
And your wife may cry, but only to you,
all night, after your daughter
breaks the news to her.
Family who haven’t seen each other
for years will show up, and some might
bring grudges and get into squabbles or worse.
Keep an eye on them,
and direct whoever gets rowdy
to the food and the dance floor.
After it’s over some will say you spent
too much. Don’t dwell on who said that,
it will only make you mad,
because chances are
they didn’t have a problem
eating your food.
But the pride you feel when you see
your daughter so happy makes it
all worth it. You’ll know that
years from now, just as we still do.
At that point the oldest of the compadres
reached for his wallet, and pulled out a photo
of him and his daughter at her quinceañera
30 years ago. And the other men promised
to bring their own photos
the next time they meet for breakfast.
Elizabeth N. Flores, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, taught for over 40 years at Del Mar College and was the college’s first Mexican American Studies Program Coordinator. Her recent poems can be found in the TPA Quarterly, the Windward Review, the Texas Poetry Assignment, The Senior Class: 100 Poets on Aging, edited by Laurence Musgrove, and ¡Somos Tejanas!: Chicana Identity and Culture in Texas, edited by Jody A. Marín and Norma E. Cantú.
