Tag Archives: napomo

Heart Diseases on Asymptote!

23 Apr Meme-type graphic depicting a woman in distress with the overlay of text "Caracas is a woman with a chest full of bullets. I am a foreigner next to so much lead." From "Heart Diseases" by Oriette D'Angelo, translated from the Spanish by Lupita Eyde-Tucker. This image is property of Asymptote Journal.

 

The past year, in addition to working on my own poetry, I embarked on a project translating the work of Venezuelan poet Oriette D’Angelo, who has been exiled from her native country since 2015. D’Angelo’s first book of poetry, Cardiopatías, won an award in Venezuela that same year.

Five of the poems from her award-winning book appear in the Spring 2019 issue of Asymptote, translated by me! To see how the world is embracing Oriette’s work brings me a ton of joy. Please jump over to Asymptote’s website and check them out, and if you like them, please jump back and let me know!!

Meme-type graphic depicting a woman in distress with the overlay of text "Caracas is a woman with a chest full of bullets. I am a foreigner next to so much lead." From "Heart Diseases" by Oriette D'Angelo, translated from the Spanish by Lupita Eyde-Tucker. This image is property of Asymptote Journal.

“Caracas is a woman with a chest full of bullets. I am a foreigner next to so much lead.” From “Heart Diseases” by Oriette D’Angelo, translated from the Spanish by Lupita Eyde-Tucker.

Morning Pages

26 Apr

Writing morning pages
is cream skimmed off the top of
my thoughts, or pond scum.

Writing morning pages
is the pool boy, whose long net
catches leaves and dead bugs.

Writing morning pages
is your hands cupping my face
your eyes deep in mine.

Writing morning pages
is the clack clack of these thoughts
Ding! then hard return.

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A flock of haiku for the home stretch of National Poetry Month.

La Gringa

13 Apr

Mirame a los ojos y dime de donde vengo
quienes son mis padres y cual es mi nombre

Lupita Maria, me dices, bella como tu madre
pero disculpame, como diablo se pronuncia

el apellido de tu padre? y cuando
abres la boca nadie te entiende

People look at me and ask
where do you come from?

and I know there will never be
a simple answer to that question

my face does not match
my name does not match

my voice does not match
it’s a trifecta of confusion

you must be Native American
I say I am of the tribe of New Jersey

But you don’t have an accent,
what exit? they smirk

105 and 109, I reply
with authority and pride

So where did Lupe come from?
It’s my mother’s name

Is she Mexican?
No, she is Ecuadorean

Oh, that explains it
the Incan connection

your English is so good
I’ve been speaking it since birth

but their eyes have glazed over
and they will never really know

who I am, and most importantly
where I come from

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Nazca

12 Apr

En tus ojos nacen cielos
nos miras desde arriba

con tu dedo largo
dibujas sobre la tierra

trazas lineas vagas, garabatos
dando forma a tus ideas,

el desierto tu papel periodico
esta tierra tu cuaderno borrador

Y si al final estas satisfecho
solo basta una palabra: Nazca!

 

Líneas de Nazca, Nazca, Perú, 2015-07-29, DD 52

In your eyes skies are born
you watch us from above

with your long finger
you doodle on the earth

tracing haphazard lines, scribbles
giving form to your ideas

the desert is your newsprint
this land your sketch book

and if at last you are satisfied
only one word is necessary: Be born!

Legacy

7 Apr

At twelve
my teacher said
“Your story has promise.”
I never forgot, her words fueled
my dream.

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A cinquain that I wrote yesterday at a workshop with Yvette Hyater-Adams in Jacksonville, FL during the Jax Poetry Fest. This form is really interesting in that it uses 5 lines, with each line having a different syllable count. Generally, the form, which was devised by Adelaide Crapsey, encompasses a story arc, where the first line talks about beginnings, the second line is about pursuit of aspiration, the third line has a twist or a conflict, the fourth a resolution, and the fifth provides insight.

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