SAN MIGUELITO DE TRINIDAD

José Rafael González claimant to the rancho
San Miguelito de Trinidad, bounded as
set forth in the accompanying expediente
(title adjudged invalid by US district
commission, "long & quiet possession
of the land alone not valid ground
for acceptance of claim")

made a diseño before this
in green and blue and yellow
the casa roofed in ochre, fruit
on the painted branches, fish
coming to net in the río de todos los santos
and the men in rich fields
surrounded by blue-green sierra
this country before the gold was
California

Will Adams, my great-great-grandfather,
came round the horn in 1850, made claim
on American River
then went back to Maine fora wife
"you can really get rich in that country"

John Sutter, long afterwards
"at once and during the night
the curse of the thing burst upon my mind"