sometimes I wish you were here- so you could share your wisdom, so you could explain your truth I followed in your footsteps of being a teenage mom And it would have ripped me apart to have abandoned my son so I’m wondering how you did it- were you full of guilt or was it because of your lack of options how did you survive being away from your child and go on with your life as if he was an afterthought Perhaps I’m judging you harshly and I don’t understand the whole story I just want it to make sense
wordpress prompt:If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
maybe I’ll take him, Idk
I want someone to take to oxapampa so I can show him where part of my story started so he can watch the sun rise and the sun set on my family’s farmland so I can experience joy through his eyes for the first time as he observes the beauty of the land So I can watch his face when he takes a sip for the first time of the world class beer 7 vidas so we can take tourist pics at the plaza and the church were my dad was baptized in dance the night and awkwardly laugh at the cultural appropriation of the Cheyenne Club so right after we end up at the Hakuna Matata karaoke bar when I sing “Lover” to him off key as he sits in his chair and cringes in embarrassment and tells me I’m crazy and everyone stares at us so we could have breakfast with my tia with the eggs, chorizo, coffee, and milk coming from the family farm as we all awkwardly make small talk about our plans for the day I want someone to take to oxapampa to hug trees, go on hikes in the jungle, and make love in some little cabin but I’ll have to wait and wait until the universe sends someone worthy of going the magical land of oxapampa
Es abril nuevamente y no solo florece la primavera, sino también la creatividad que la acompaña. Y, por supuesto, es el mes nacional de la poesía y todos los años desde 2022 intentó participar en NaPoWrimo, que es una actividad en la que escribo un poema al día y lo publico en mi blog. Estoy emocionado de ver qué poemas locos se me ocurren. El año pasado mi poema favorito fue uno picante que escribí sobre Yung Gravy y que terminé leyendo en frente del público . Además, este año, decidí darles mis propios temas originales para inspirarlos a escribir sus propios poemas. Si quieren pueden enviarme su poema y lo publicaré en mi blog o simplemente pueden guardarlo entre las páginas de su diario. El año pasado tenía como objetivo publicar mis propios mensajes para el Mes Nacional de la Poesía y aquí estamos. Este año decidí usar los títulos de los primeros 30 poemas que he escrito.
cuando tenía 15 años cuando escribí mi primer poema
I pay tribute to the women who came before me women who sacrificed so my parents could exist my mami who had to leave behind her culture, traditions, and language to give me a better life to make sure I grow up safe and well educated and taught me what strength and resilience means as she worked long days to make ends meet as she showed initiative to move our family forward and with her example I was able to follow it except I change it up some to live a life full of love, community and creativity
at 17, the pregnant bride to be got a telegram from her groom sorry, but I’m betrothed to another and am getting married at gun point maybe it was the heavy feeling of rage or her aries nature and hormones the jilted bride with a silent fury went to her closet and took out her ostentatiously beaded wedding dress and with matches in her hand she went outside and set fire to it in front of the family home one of the younger siblings saw the insanity as the bride stared at it mesmerized by fire that grew and grew she walked towards it all sense of reality gone from her not hearing the screams from her abuela who ran towards her and just before the bride step foot in the fire la abuela shook her and slapped her across the face until the bride reacted, let out a loud wail heard across the farmland and fainted
una ola de nostalgia me golpea y casi me ahogo en recuerdos y toma todo de mi para me quedé quieta en mi presente y toma todo de mi para que mi pasado no arruine la realidad que estoy viviendo
dejan su patria por una mejor vida por el bienestar de su familia nunca pensando en las consecuencias de esta decisión nunca pensando del sufrimiento que este paso puede causar y al empezar su nueva vida en américa se enfrentar con la dura y cruel realidad de ser inmigrante nunca siendo aceptados, siempre ser tratados como algo menos de ser humanos siempre teniendo que trabajas el doble, el triple para poder sobrevivir nunca dándose el lujo de parar para procesar sus sentimientos o lo que están viviendo hasta años después cuando todo el trauma que vivieron viene como un huracán en su mente, en su cuerpo que se adueña de ellos y no los quiere soltar
llévame a recorrido de tu utopía del cual tu siempre hablas el sitio donde no hay trastornos Mentales donde todos nos quedamos dormidos sin la necesidad de tranquilizantes el cual a todos se le tratan con respeto y son celebrados por ser diferentes y no son marginados o insultados
me in my luchadoras gear ready to go into my second job
I channel the luchadoras before me the ones who had to work in the chacras to provide for their families, the ones who had to work with their bare hands to build generational wealth the ones who survived infidelities, abuse, and tragedies and still came out on top as Queens the ones who never had the option to lay down and princess to be doted on, be taken care of they had to become working class luchadoras for the betterment of themselves and their families
today I woke up overwhelmed, exhausted and in a fit of rage feeling underappreciated in all of my efforts to move my family forward not remembering the last time I had a full day of rest wondering how to continue this existence of 60 something work weeks, and of course the guilt over not spending enough time with my kids- I was downtrodden with grief and mad at the world until my abuela’s story made its way to a conversation with my coworker and a small light of hope dawned on me if my illiterate and indigenous abuela Mercedes, alone in the world could make generational wealth in the early 1900s despite the racism, the obstacles, and many tragedies faced I, too. will not only survive but will also thrive and continue to shine my light it’s in my bloodline, my ancestry to evolve, push myself forward despite obstacles, mental illness, or life’s tragedies-IT’S UP TO ME! as a Peruvian woman living in America in the 21st century to make the best of what’s been given to me which sometimes feels like the sourest of maize and turn them in the sweetest and tastiest Chicha
mi tío Genaro y yo con el árbol de Pino ,atras esta el paisaje de Oxapampa
abrazo el árbol de pino para absorber su energía y para darle mis angustias y tristeza y rezo por todos que dejaron mi vida porque sin esas lecciones no sería la maravilla que soy hoy dia
from short hikes in Athens in 2021 to treacherous 5 mile hikes in Oxapampa in April 2023-it’s all unnerving
I put my insecurities and fears on display for the world to see it’s a most arduous task-it’s not for the weak at first I thought it was crazy it was me trying to get attention it was me seeking validation and while it may have been these things it was also brave, courageous to be so radically honest about what unnerves me It’s how I’ve been able to heal and claim my identity
I look calm but inside of me lies the heart of a leona
my protective instinct rings loudly in me I will protect everyone I love no matter what even if I have to die for them to be safe even if I have to leave them alone for them to have peace of mind their well being means everything to me inside of me lies the heart of a lioness ready to roar ready to protect everyone she loves
the freedom and independence in my son brings me a sense of pride with so much happiness I see his fiery spirit shine from within and his light is so bright- I know I’ve done something right he’s not afraid to take risks, he’s not afraid of failure He’s not afraid to be himself and I breathe a sense of relief he will not bear the sense of forced obligations or burden of expectations I had- instead he’ll make himself and his happiness a priority above all else while still caring for humanity it’s the beginning of breaking a generational curse of obedient and silent martyrdom that’s been inherited for generations