Somos en escrito The Latino Literary Online Magazine
Illustrations by Giovanna Espinoza
Two poems filled with insight and the future
By Giovanna Espinoza
By Giovanna Espinoza
The Scholarly Abuelo
He came into my life
Suave, muy suave
In all his unassuming glory
El jefe tan chingón
His own brand of exuberant joy, radiating
A todo dar
Así como dicen "Great things come in small sizes” His signature style, ese.
The Hat - to keep that fountain of wisdom
Contained, but siempre
Overflowing
¡Vale! What about them shoes?
Declaran: Este vato, he's a man of pure class!
Pero, he is not without a bit of
Sassss ¡Ey! ¡Wachale!
He's on a mission, you see
Está abriendo camino
For who?! Why?!
You might ask
'Pa la gente, la raza
For you, 'pa mi Without a doubt, sin duda
Es el mero mero
Why?
Exactly
Think: pedagogy
Can you see it? ¿Lo puedes ver?
The forest Él es el más grande
Fooool
Pero, he makes us all look
Como los verdaderos idiotas
¿Y qué?
Porque we need to be
Irreverente
¡Andale! Porque, my abuelo
Well, es un escolar,
A scholar
So, I will take that Hat
And claim it, own it Y caminaré el mismo camino
In my own shoes, mi estilo
Because ¡chale! Sere una force of nature
La tempestad
Shaking the very foundation
Down to the raices
¡Si se puede!
¿Verdad?
~~~~~~~~~
Hay distancias que nos
S e p a r a n
They d/i/v/i/d/e U.S.
‘Pa crear una frontera
Between us So
I am
Waiting
Esperando, hoping
For what? You might ask
Chhhh…
Oh
I forgot
It’s shhhh now Yo quiero
Desire
NO!
¡Que feo!
My, my what a nasty
Little mind, you have there I demand
El derecho de poder
Compartirlas
With you, hermanita
Las delicias del mundo So, I will make a proposition
Let’s build it!
A wall? You little-
No.
A bridge, un puente I want
To breathe
El mismo aire
Polluted and open Escucha, mija
You’re playing with fuego
¿Quién te dio la autoridad?
To make all these demands Who? You ask
Es muy fácil
Simple even, sir
I did, yo solita Look here, chamaca
No tienes idea de lo que-
¿Qué?
Of course, I have ideas! Mira aquí, señor
I am a LOUDmouth, oh yes
Toda una chismosa
So beware Recuerda, nosotras las mujeres
We’re patient
Waiting, esperando
Exactly
Giovanna Espinoza, born in Victorville, California, spent her early childhood in Mexico City but now lives in San Antonio, Texas, where she is a Spanish major and senior at Trinity University. She “strives through her writing to express the strong values that motivate her, making a difference in the world and encouraging growth through inquiry.” “The Scholarly Abuelo,” she notes, is Dr. Arturo Madrid, one of her professors at Trinity, now retired. The illustration is by Giovanna of his signature hat.