Rhymes and verses courtesy of the respective authors...in English we just had fun translating them.
Miguel Ángel Mancera Espinosa
Mayor of Mexico City
To Mexico City
Dashing and dainty, The Dapper Lady rambled
Mexico City, with the intent of instilling fear.
Tequila in hand as if to feast,
she forgot of her resolve,
and, instead, took a stroll.
Here, she found a city: upbeat, jolly and gay.
Infused she was, with all its dance, laughter and parade.
With all she remained passionately fascinated,
and refused to turn back to her grave,
For with Mexico City she had been infatuated!
Alejandra Barrales
National Leader of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD)
Death roamed on Sunday
only to find The Front at work.
She told Alejandra, Dante, and Ricardo:
Mexico’s time has come.
A change, of course, is what Mexico needs,
death consents to with the cheerful attendees,
“Let’s finish with corruption from the ruling party”, they declared
as Mexicans yearning was finally conferred.
Dolores Padierna
Enrique Peña Nieto believed early on
he was the savior of his people thereupon.
He gave the impression of an agent of change
with tricks of smoke and mirrors he arranged.
He turned out to be an awful nightmare
of violence and corruption beyond compare
The crown of indecency he now bears
and to the graveyard he will return
with a glut of votes
from a nation which has had enough.
Enrique Ochoa Reza
National Leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
Death remained attentive
to the shaping of a certain Front
that was quite the talk
for all the kids on the block
were just seizing the moment,
and remained by The Dapper Lady taunted.
There you’d find the rouge himself
keeping all his wealth in the shadows,
while a hackneyed other avoided arrows
and came closer through explanation
of how a mortgage paid for her Miami accommodation.
The Grim Reaper laughed to death and said:
“You’re Front will bite the dust,
and soon you’ll join that someone
in the land where you give up the ghost!”
Renato Sales
National Security Commissioner
They sleep in this burial, the city streets,
as Death retaliated with jauntiness and buoyancy
through tally earthquakes of grim coincidence.
All things considered, reason prevailed
And Death with mounting solidarity was leveled
They all came to the reunion:
Federal Police and Protection Services,
Felons and the whole of the Security Commission
Honoured the name of the Ministry of Interior
César Camacho Quiróz
Head of the PRI seats in the Lower Chamber
Two years ago, they say,
threatening Death
with a thundering voice declared:
Every congressman caught off guard
to the cemetery I will cart
and into oblivion they will stand.
The ruling party’s deputies,
eagerly completed their duties,
and in both commissions and plenary sessions
their names showed up
with outstanding impressions.
Nobody knows for sure
if this was plain terror,
or persuasion,
of dying in the graveyard
and missing the ballots
of next year’s general election.
Zoé Robledo
Congressman
Self-composed Day of the Dead rhyme
There was Zoé Robledo quite delighted
When a Hillary T-shirt he was granted.
Poor senator, he hadn’t fully regarded
That by putting it on, Death he had invited.
There was Zoé Robledo quite excited;
He thought on top of the poll he had landed
When a regeneration Reaper appeared beside him
And said: “Poor man, you are so misguided.”
There was Zoé Robledo giving a speech
The Belisario medal to a woman, that’s the thing!
Death came: give it to me! It beseeched.
Poor Zoé, he was frightened beyond reach.
Poor Zoé Robledo, he was weary
He went out and each time Death was ready.
3-of-3, abide by the law already!
Death listened and held steady.
For your overconfidence I came to collect you in Chiapas,
For your hastiness I came for your soul in the Senate,
3 out of 3 you wanted, how dare you!
Well, 3 out of 3 times with me I’ll take you.
CULTURE
David Huerta
Mexican poet
To Francisco Toledo *
For once Death
took fright, as Toledo
sketched her with a single finger
and sent her to prison.
From now on
she refrains from any human claiming
serving time as she is, without complaining:
long live the artist!
*Oaxacan based artist
SPORTS
Héctor Alfonso Morales
To Miguel Herrera
“Piojo” Herrera was more than confident
The title, in the end, would’ve been his accomplishment.
After all, Mr. Brizio told him:
“Rest easy, to the America, I’ll spare the beating.”
This didn’t escape Death’s hearing
Offended, it sealed the coach’s fate jeering;
It said: “Come, Miguel. I’m not the Cruz Azul to give away the crown
Even if you’re Azcarraga’s most cherished son
Today, for sure, he’d wish you were gone”
Because not even with her slaps la Pioja can cool Death down.
MONEY
Banking Sector
Irked Death roamed,
as banks refused to lend her some money:
¡Darn bankers, I’ll see you are gone!
Fintech and Condusef will throw the first stone.
Without delay, Death’s first victim was collected
and left Interacciones at the graveyard wedged.
Now characters by the name of Hank and Rojo
pave the way for a cobbled road
where Death can tour for long,
while from Banorte they present as offering
all banks with BBVA for their topping.
INTERNATIONAL
To Donald Trump
Death was more than tired of Donald Trump and all his bragging
Even Death feared him, the American claimed jeering.
That all his threats were fake news, and his word was law
The Reaper came and took him, and in a graveyard dumped him
Surrounded by the beautiful wall he’d always talk about
The tycoon now regrets with more prudence he didn’t behave
Too late did he learn, you cannot mess with Death.
SCIENCE
Julieta Fierro
Renowned astronomer from the National Autonomous University
To Silvia Torres, Chair of the International Astronomical Union
Silvia laughs at Death:
as it’s just a thread.
Universe lies at her feet
inside out.
Stars are her realm,
While of cosmos she’s at the helm.
Silvia, of universe empress
with galaxies she is blessed.
Even if Death should reach her
no tapping on stars will it earn.
ENTERTAINMENT
To Eduardo Yáñez
Through all corners of the world,
Death bemoaned the gorgeous one.
Keeping all in her grave except for a man
who would leave you speechless anytime.
Afar she heard Eduardo Yáñez cry
and rushed to the red carpet to stand by
as a reporter eager to inquire:
“He may be the one I’ve been looking for!”
said Death as she saw how Yáñez left everyone sore.
Reporter Death asked for an interview in the beyond
but an irked Yáñez sent Death straight….away
Death had no choice but to slash his whimper
and took him to her graveyard to say: “You are now gorgeous in temper!”
MEXICO
Frida in boots
“Frida” couldn’t take it any longer and hit the sack
after the good work she put to the earthquake task,
she resolved to keep Death in good company.
“I’ve fulfilled my duty”,
said Frida with her boots on.
“Let’s go to rest”, barked the Labrador,
while a dismal Navy was left next door.
“Rest Frida, you’re achievement remains the best we’ve seen”
said the sorrowful sailors at sea.
POLITICS
Alfonso Navarrete Prida
Minister of Labor and Social Welfare
Going through its data, Death was one fine day,
figuring out with how many numbers it could dispense.
Engrossed in its task, Death pensively thought:
“Of employment claimed by so many terms
even I would’ve had enough.”
Then unemployment fell and asked in awe:
What am I doing dead if I kept in good health?
Did statistics deliver me such a terrible blow?
Death promptly clarified, willing to throw it a bone:
“With so many formal jobs, even Social Security fell short;
despite being in the red, employment has won.”
And thus they spent the night, going over their lesson:
“It’s best to have benefits
than a stand on the streets, my suggestion.
This is how you lay the groundwork, no pressure,
for a better future to offer with some due protection.”
Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez
Leisurely Death was taking a stroll
When the ground shook it to its very bones.
From beneath rubble and dust,
Dozens of souls to Heaven rose.
To the streets the young ones flocked
And to Death they delivered a blow.
Yet the stubborn Reaper nimbly sought
the only dead missing down below.
In hiding again, its fear cloaked,
the ineffective government
for dealing its cards, its life lost.
Armando Ríos Piter
Quite happy were the political parties,
buying votes left and right
until the Pale Death came for all,
and ended their vicious plan.
Mournful about not winning more campaigns,
Death brought down their entire charade.
Only teeth and bone from them remained
And the vote to the independents went.
That’s one giant leap for democracy.
Now, without the money of the majority
as eternal corruption source and commodity
Political parties from the underworld won’t enforce their authority
Nor continue with their “wholesale” vote-buying policy.
Only through cheating they won elections,
To benefit from the public works inspections,
The voters taught them important lessons,
and of the Mexican Republic their votes came to the rescue.
The Reaper took them for being thus corrupted,
And in so doing, the independents he supported.
Javier Lozano
A smug Anaya wanted to be cemetery owner and undertaker all at once,
And to an early grave he sent himself when inside a tomb he fell.
There he met Death, which with a wide grin said: “in life, Anaya, you can’t be both
a self-seeker and a swindler.
Your greediness led you to the front of the Front, but here you’ve faced me head on.”
Roberto Gil
They say they were five,
Rebels by name they were called,
Death with amusement watched,
While Anaya their final moments foretold.
One night the Reaper found them
And took the five for a dance.
Now Anaya laughs unabashed
But Death has found out.
ENTERTAINMENT
Astrid Hadad
Death looms and sings nearby a nopal bush
It takes with her all Godzillas, locks and fines
Parking system is no more,
Death said… you’re done!
Forget about your presidential chair and took Mancera along.