First Spanish Poem
While studying at a small Spanish university last year, all of the courses that I took were entirely in Spanish. One of my favorites courses was Literature. In that class, we read brilliant pieces by some of Spain and Latin America’s most well known writers. We were also required to write in Spanish which was still fairly new to me at the time. One of my favorite moments in that class was when the professor asked us to pull out a sheet of paper and create a shape poem. We had to write a poem, but the lines had to create an image. Panic overwhelmed me because anytime I write a poem, I want it to be good. I want to be extremely proud of it. Everybody around me started to write and create these images and I sat there blankly staring off trying to come up with something. I sat there and finally said to myself “Whatever. I’ll just draw my hand.” What I thought was an escape from an assignment I was unnecessarily overthinking, became one of my favorite pieces I’ve written and my first poem written in Spanish. Here it is, not in the shape of my hand.
Mis manos
cuentan historias.
Dicen que yo soy fuerte,
Hecha de tierra y sol.
Mi piel, un color de café con leche
y una mezcla de las banderas
de los países que son parte de mi vida.
Mis manos
Ofrecen ayuda, amistad, comodidad, amor.
Nunca te fallaran.
Mis manos
Hacen lo imposible.
Son magia
porque Papi dice
que todo lo que toco prosperará.
Juntas,
hacen oraciones
y piden que Dios nos bendiga,
para siempre.
Although it doesn’t quite feel the same to me in English, I’ve included the translation for anybody that would like to see what it means, but can’t read Spanish. I’ll save you the trip to Google translate.
My hands,
tell stories.
They say I’m strong,
made of soil and sun.
My skin, the color of coffee with milk
and a mix of the flags
of the countries that are part of my life.
My hands,
offer help, friendship, comfort, love.
They’ll never fail you.
My hands,
do the impossible.
They’re magic
because my Father says
everything my hands touch will prosper.
Together,
they say prayers
and ask God to bless us,
forever.