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EMERGENCE ©Debora Barrera Pontillo (1997)
emergence - the seeds of my people lie waiting, deep in my cells
germinating, pushing against crusted surface of flesh
sprouting through a life lived on the edge
their voices call to me, summon me from
and i must answer
water - i dream sometimes that i walk inside mi abuelita, that she
holds me in her spirit
i dreamt that i was working in the field with her
and my mouth was very dry
dust scavenged the moist interior
and my thirst was very large
lita said "they" will not let us drink
when i wake, i go into the bathroom
put my head under the faucet
and i
choose
hot
air - i breathe my mother mexico deep into my lungs
burn your knowledge in porous membrane of soul
we with warriors of aztlan call your name
and you respond on the voice of the wind
sweep our histories across surface of body
the weight of the unspoken bares heavy on this swollen belly
i am pregnant with desire for mi cultura y mi raza
fire - purification
the desire for survival burns deep in my psyche
"we were never meant to survive"
but we have
the tenacity of our spirit
our blood, soaked earth
brown feet still resonate
upon her
500 years later, english only replaces smallpox infested blankets
in some places
anti-immigration laws, disguising open season on Mexicans
and i dance for you who are hungry
i write for you who pick the food that feeds this privileged
brown body
and i sing for the spirits of my people
move to the threshold as they cross, into spirit
these words are to honor those
whose lives
have been brutally ripped
from their brown bodies
these words are to mourn those who die as i speak
modern day genocide ferments in my belly
and all i have to scream my rage
is this voice
the dance
and the chants
and the memory
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