What books do you want to read?
2 poetry books, 1 feminist comic book, and 1 fiction novel by a Columbian Writer. All of them are library books. Hoping they’re inspiring.

What books do you want to read?
2 poetry books, 1 feminist comic book, and 1 fiction novel by a Columbian Writer. All of them are library books. Hoping they’re inspiring.

I wrote this poem in January of 2023.

I light a candle, put on music, and pay tribute to all that I will never be-
itβs not like Iβm denying myself possibilities or opportunities
Iβm just acknowledging certain realities
Iβll never have the proper words, the necessary pretentious words
of the upper class pedigree to be published in one of those prestigious journals
or win a pulitzer prize
Iβll never be seen as an equal in American because Iβll always be a foreigner
and while this brings me a certain kind of grief
I also celebrate how different I am
Iβll never filter my words or fake eloquence or elegance
to make myself digestible to those with multiple degrees
Nah, Iβm a mosaic masterpiece, with my bad grammar,
my simple vocabulary
and my powerful and emotionally charged phrases
Iβm not and never will be for those with sensitive ears or palettes
and Iβll always take pride in that

I think one of the best things about having a family of your own is making up your own traditions. One of my favorite traditions I have with my boys is watching βAbout a Boyβ every Thanksgiving while we wait for dinner or afterwards. I started this tradition in 2008 when my oldest was 10 and my middle son was 3. The first time we watched it we had just moved into our new place and me and their dad hadnβt gotten around to getting internet and hardly had any furniture so we had to make do with the DVDs we had on hand to entertain the boys. For whatever reason, we watched that movie a few times. I remember watching it for the first time with my boys and all of these questions about mental health my then 3 year old had and how concerned he was for the mom in the movie. It was just such a sweet moment for me. A couple of years ago, my oldest son gave me the blu-ray dvd version of the movie to upgrade it from my old DVD copy. I love the message in the movie about how βno man is an islandβ and we all need community from friends and family to make life enjoyable and worth living.Β

My other favorite tradition involves me and my middle son. I had him on my 24th birthday so we are birthday twins. When our birthday week rolls around, I decide to get desserts almost every day of the week for me and him to celebrate. Sometimes, we do share with our other family members when we feel like it. I started this tradition 4 years ago. We also always get two different cakes of our choice for our actual birthdays. I plan to keep this tradition around as long as he lives with me and/or lives close to me.
here’s the english version of this poem:
poetry: two pink lines
esa segunda raya rosada fue el Karma llegando cobrando su deuda
porque yo reze que mis enemigos de enfermen con COVID
y ahora moribunda en mi cama con una fiebre alta
le prometo al universo que serΓ‘ mΓ‘s cauta en mis palabras
y no dejarΓ© que mi ira me controle

unexpected joy is felt over little things
the first time I tried on bluetooth earbuds
the wind against my face as I run
eating four types of ceviches in my homeland
awkwardly dancing with my dadβs classmates
laughing with my oldest son over something stupid
a meme about being crazy shared with my friends
its little moments like these that make life worthwhile
11/19/22
I wrote this poem in January of 2023.

To raise my children with empathy and respect for humanity
is hard in times like these
in times when everyone is selfish and individuality is praised
In times when showing emotions is seen as week
and there is still a stigma about seeking therapy
but somehow, my firstborn got the message
that money and selfishness are not everything
and that finding empathy and compassion for his fellow humans
is much more valuable than the idea of individualism and materialism
society tries to sell him

An attraction thatβs kind of close to me and would love to visit is the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum and Iβd love to stay at the Zelda Airnb suite. It is rather pricey at $165 a night and Iβd like to go there for a week and write and go to the museum among other attractions in Montgomery that Zelda and F.Scott went to and were inspired by. Iβm hoping that I could also write the entire week. Iβd drink champagne for lunch and read while taking long and luxurious baths every day. Maybe by that time, my blood pressure will be completely under control and I can eat my chili cheese fritos,tacos and partake in the southern comfort food that Montgomery has to offer. The reason Iβd like to go there is because for a while I was obsessed with F.Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. Iβve read most of his books and short stories. My favorite book of his is βThis Side of Paradiseβ which ended up inspiring a few of my poems I wrote in 2019 as well as a couple of short stories. I think that maybe Iβve read βThe Great Gatsbyβ three times. I hope to make this little dream of mine come true within the next two years.
Below is the link to the Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum:
https://www.thefitzgeraldmuseum.org/
so I actually wrote this poem in December of 2022 after I got sick with COVID. This poem was actually inspired by the 2005 poem, “Here we again”- I was editing it to post it on instagram and something about it screamed turn into a poem about your ailment and this is what I ended with. God, my mind was extra crazy with COVID brain. lol.

Here’s the original poem, it’s edited from:
https://lifeonthebpd.com/2022/07/01/poetry-here-we-go-again/
Another unexpected surprise
confirmed with the second pink line
Is this Karma coming for me?
for wishing this on my enemies
this puts a pause on my life for a few days
and I lay in bed in a fever haze
soon I lose my sense of smell and taste
Iβm humbled and make a promise to the universe
Iβll be more careful with my words
and stop giving into my rancor

List five things you do for fun.
1. Write
2. Listen to music
3. Spend time with kids and friends
4. Read
5. Go to open mic
I wrote this poem in January of 2023.

Cry in front of me and show me your vulnerable side
I wonβt run away or shame you for sharing your pain
I understand what itβs like to be left alone
when you start to drown in your emotions
and you reach for someone and that person
turns you away
I will never be that callous
when I say you can be safe with me,
I really mean it
aqui esta el poema original que inspirΓ³ este poema:
PoesΓa: Falso 2005
we were another lesson in love lost and mourned
I tried everything to make it work
even where it was past our expiration date
I never wanted our children to be products of a broken home
but even my best efforts could not fight how different we were
or our long term story of incompatibility
it wasnβt your fault or mine
we were just both too stubborn to see what was in front of us
a friendship that shouldβve stayed platonic
but you fell in deep for me
and I was tired wanted to settle
and we made it work until one day I realized it wasnβt enough
so I was named for my mom’s sister Patty. My aunt Patty was also the rebel and the baby in the family. My mom named me after her because I had another aunt who wanted me to have her name and my mom hated being pressured about it. So she was pregnant and feeling petty and named me after my aunt Patty. Growing up I was intimidated by her because she was the beauty bombshell and I was this awkward and shy kid growing up. Maybe she’s who I channeled when I pose in my pictures, lol. Anyways, like me she’s also divorced and has three boys of her own. We also both go by Patty rather than our formal name cause Idk Patricia feels like it belongs to some old stuffy Irish nun. Anyways, unlike me, my Aunt Patty is a fabulous cook while I can hardly make rice. Her ceviche will make you cry not only because it’s spicy but because it’s super delicious. As far as the etymology of the name which is such a boring thing to investigate, here’s a link to it:https://www.etymonline.com/word/Patricia

I wrote this poem in January of 2023.

My heart betrayed me last night
it was on the same page that I need to put any hope of love on hold
Until Iβm free of my marital ties-
Until Iβm no longer suffering of any residual trauma
from my last failed romantic relationship
but in one night, my heart betrayed my mind
And it felt euphoria and everything that comes with meeting
the potential of love
And while my mind tries to reign in my feelings
My heart says βsorry, weβre already in too deepβ
here’s the English version of this poem:
Poetry: Andrew
cuando me preguntan acerca de mi primer amor
siempre pensarΓ© en el
aquel muchacho alto con los ojos marrones profundos
fue el primero que me trato con respecto y como una princesa
Nuestro cuento de amor fue casi como una pelΓcula de disney
fue algo mΓ‘gico y bello
pero algo tan bonito no puede sobrevivir en este mundo cruel
lleno de realidades que se tienen que enfrentar
aunque nos amΓ‘bamos con una pasiΓ³n hecho de fuego
no fue suficiente y nuestra llama de amor se apago
y nos fuimos por caminos diferentes
el hizo su vida y yo la mΓa
pero aunque han pasado mΓ‘s de 25 aΓ±os
cuando me pregunten que fue mi primer amor
siempre pensarΓ© en el