"I live in a doorway
between 2 rooms,"
The two lines from above appear at the beginning of the poem and it is the first time the narrator identifies as also being the main character. The narrator is an observer in the poem, watching other people go about their lives and noticing their happiness. The narrator gives no clue about her own state of mind but simply claims that she lives in an unstable state, "in a doorway", neither finding herself in one room or another. This quote is important because it gives a clue about the narrator's state of mind: she is as happy as the women cooking in the second room but she is not in a state of despair either. Instead, she is constantly floating and changing which allows her to better understand the people around her.
"quick beige smiles,
that seldom sneak into their eyes"
The first stanza of the poem ends with a quick description of the women inhabiting the first room. These women are characterized by the color beige, from their clothes, eyes, and even skin. These women live a monotonous life, a tidy life in which every moment is organized. It is implied that these women were educated and have a high social status, thus allowing them to live a comfortable life and drink "black coffee" all day while sitting in their crisp dresses. However, as the narrator points out, these women are far from being happy. The smile but their happiness is not real and it is only for show. This proves that happiness is not given by money and riches, but rather by something much more important.
"press their lips, trap smiles
in their dark Mexican eyes."
The women described in the second stanza are completely different from the ones in the first stanza. While the first women were light, the women in the second room are described as being dark and dressed in faded garments, thus implying that they do not have a very good social status and a lot of money. Despite this, the women in the second room are a lot happier. They are constantly smiling and talking animately between one another. This ruckus is different from the silent described as dominating in the first room. The second room is dominated by chaos but this only brings happiness to the women inside it. This proves that money does not bring happiness and that peace of mind comes from simple things that are accessible to everyone, no matter their social status.
