Poetry
Poetry is more than words on a page; it is a healing salve grounded in sincerity.
In the spirit of floricanto, poetry remains active in our collective cultural legacy with a multilayered richness that extends beyond words. It is an ofrenda that precedes us and will live on past our short time here. In that spirit, and in an effort to extend the impact of timeless moments of shared poetry, you’ll find an offering of downloadable poems that have been shared with larger audiences as part of our collective efforts to imagine and activate a more just world where everyone is valued, empowered, and bold.
I Dream
“I dream of a world where my daughters can run free
Safe in notoriety, or perhaps chosen anonymity
A world where “call me when you get home” can be
more about that good tea
than about fearing for our safety,
A world where all bodies are somebody valued”
The full version of this poem was first read at the 2022 Santa Clara County Domestic Violence Conference. A video recording of the reading is available on the SCC Website via the Office of Gender Based Violence Prevention. The poem also appears in the book Braided [Un]Be-Longing.
Legacy Legado
“They say we don't have to struggle to learn, We just have to remember
Knowing the hostility of the terrain of what it took not to forget
I plant mis pies descalzos humildemente into the ground and I breathe
Remembering the songs
of nuestra gente braided into different constellation points in my memoria
. . .
And I wonder about the various constellation points of Cesar's life.
Cesario Estrada Chávez as a newborn,
Cesar Estrada Chávez as a brown-eyed child playing in the sun,
Cesar Chavez as a suited spiffy resongón . . .”
The full version of this poem was first read at the 2023 Plática to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of César Chávez’s Passing hosted by La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley.