wonder how it happened- the transaction between beatriz’ papi and luis did beatriz have any say in her future betrothal did she have dreams as a little girl about her future husband did she even love Luis or just tolerate him because it’s what was expected of her how did it happen did she wish for a different life for her daughters one where they loved their husbands one where they were treated like humans and not treated like cattle
a wave of nostalgia hits me and I almost drown in memories it takes everything in me to stay grounded in my present it takes everything in me to not allow my trauma to cloud the life I’m currently trying to build
I scream watching the dominoes fall once again I don’t know who I am I want to be this version of myself a while longer ideally forever but the universe has other plans she laughs and says “Honey, he wasn’t the one” and I’m pissed and lose my shit go crazy for weeks, that turn into months that turn into a year until 13 months later mama killa comes to me revealing the last piece I needed to form a stable identity and sends me back to my homeland where I recover hidden bits of myself and laugh like a child once again where I’m reunited with the mountains, coast, and the city where the universe tells me “I told you so, you couldn’t have done this with him by your side dimming your light, you needed to be alone to embrace your magic And find your real identity under layers of american conditioning and reconnect with your homeland, it was the most important part in your heroine’s journey to integration
sueños olvidados vienen a mi mente mientras sufro de un episodio depresivo quería ser mucho más que esto una madre abrumadora tratando de dar lo mejor de ella pero todavía fracasando
lately I take the biggest bites out of life and flaunt it in front of everyone for too long I suppressed my hunger for experience, for adventure thought I was crazy for trying to explore my curious nature So instead I took small bites here and there thinking it be enough but it wasn’t who I was a little bird taking nips naw I’m a condor reading to pounce and satiate my hunger my big ass appetite ready to be satisfied with the unpleasant and pleasurable things in life
forgotten dreams remembered in a bout of depression I wanted to be much more than this an overwhelmed mom of two trying her best but still failing an chaotic mess who doesn’t know who she is underneath the burdens and expectations placed on her
man sets himself on fire for gaza woman murdered just for existing babies starved to death for being born Palestinian young adult dies at dorm of the local university collective grief rattles our communities don’t know what to make of so much loss happening within a matter of days all we can do is hold on to each other as senseless madness and violence takes place all we can do is tell our stories build our sanctuaries within each other remind ourselves of our warmth, our humanity when the world is heavy with cruelty and toxicity
Encajo donde nadie me dice que río demasiado fuerte, Encajo donde una comunidad que he creado en mi familia y amigos Encajo en las miles de páginas en mi cuaderno donde escribo mis sentimientos y pensamientos más íntimos y privados encajo en él cuando él comparte su vulnerabilidad Conmigo
before I knew who I was I used to be oh so charming to men always agreeing with them, mirroring their interests, stroking their egos and other things and giving them easy access to me I never used much discernment in this my standard were 3000 leagues under the sea So I allowed any mediocre joe who showed me the least bit of attention into my universe and I allowed this to happen for 26 years making myself fodder for these mediocre and insecure joes who left the minute I show then a bit of the fire I held within and everytime they left, I was destroyed and like a tarot’s fool I keep repeating this nonsense until a few years ago, I had enough when the last of the joes said I was too much for him and it was the final straw that broke my romantic girl spirit for a while I was touch and go with my sanity but I rose and rose like the Peruvian diosa I had always been and in horror I realized laying in bed with mediocrity only damaged me, it was time to change this narrative and slowly I recovered from the latest love tragedy and starting writing my own love story one where alone I’m enough and the protagonist and never again have to tone down who I am or hide the fire and magic that resides in me
the sky fell on me on that tuesday morning when you ended me with a 5 minute phone call for weeks I cried on the carpet until I fell asleep for weeks I wanted to fade away into an abyss of nothingness and even though it’s been almost decade I still think about that Tuesday morning the morning I lost the small piece of innocence I had left
overwhelmed by the sights and sounds at jorge chavez airport fast castellano coming from everyone with cumbia in the background machu picchu advertisements everywhere my mind is trying to process everything in real time I’m here, I’m here, I’m here the land of inca cola, ceviche and my ancestors land that I haven’t seen since the age of 9 and didn’t fully appreciate it happy and completely elated euphoria and goosebumps felt from my bones to my skin I never thought I’d see it again poverty kept me away but I’m here, I’m here, I’m here my beloved Perú the land I left without consent the land I was taught to menospreciar I’m here, I’m here, I’m here and I can’t wait to get reacquainted with you mi tierra-once again
I still watch our video, we were so cute together (sends pic of us naked in bed) your pussy is fire I’ll wait for you until you change your mind I guess loving you is a crime these are the things said to me by the men I send to block island exes and lovers who continuously disrespected me and never could listen to my no or respect my boundaries when we tried to be friends one of them I had to threaten to expose with the story Of how I broke his dick the rest made me feel a deep sense of guilt and covered me with toxic shame for letting them near me and I yell at that sick version of myself asking her “What the fuck girl, what was wrong with you” she responds, “I was mentally ill and impulsive,lol” and I try to find forgiveness for all of us trying to not victimize or villainize but the fire of anger rises up and I hate them and me for ever exchanging energies with them the only lesson learn in this is be careful, be wary of the nice guys the guys who talk a big game about respect and still make you an object of their obsession they’re the ones most likely to break you apart
not even a year has passed and there’s an ocean between us desire and passion once shared evades us as we fall into an oblivion of obligations and routine
on sundays I give myself permission to live inside my head where I build a world I can freely imagine and play in where only a select few I let in on sundays, I jump timelines from the 90s to last year to my present writing about past experiences that still linger in my mind on sundays I give myself permission to be a complete hermit with only my playlist, my pen, and my paper to keep me company
petrified, frustrated, and stagnated drowning in a sea of disillusionment thanatos finds me and whispers in my ear “come with me and your pain will disintegrate” and the temptation to follow him is great I hate living in such a terrible and inhumane world