My father proudly showed me
his new birth certificate
that had our last name Mireles
spelled with a “z”
instead of “s’
Mirelez

He said that my grandfather couldn’t write
at the time
and the young doctor thought
he said “s”
Miiiiii….relllll….sssssss
when he sounded it out
and that’s how it was changed

is it really that much of a difference
I wondered?
would my ancestors
have approved of it?
…would they have even noticed?

A “z: is very defiant, sharp and bold….
while an “s” is smooth, curvy and soft…

I guess the best answer
to my dilemma
could be found on an old television show
where a masked man
with noble Spanish blood
used a slashing sword
to leave his mark
on the world