xicanandigena

this piece is in the book latina outsiders edited by grisel acosta: There is before the stroke and after the stroke on thankstaking 2012. I lost my ability to focus on the screen of my phone in the cab en route to the emergency room . once there I couldn’t move my legs. I couldn’t stand. Fortunately, I wasn’t paralyzed, but my balance was way off. I no longer dreamed, or actually, I no longer recalled what I dreamed. That was so weird. i am still getting adjusted to a new reality. I really rely on my sister. I don’t know when I became aware of the polenysian word mana meaning soul. But it’s a very intriguing concept. An abbreviation of the Spanish word for sister, hermana, could be ‘mana- a soul sister in this life-a sister resister. Roles my ‘mana and i don’t actually share or exchange: wife and mother and aunt. All three roles are held by a chicana. All three of them are held by a Latina. Neither of us- me or my hermana- are immigrant. We are u.s.america born. We are resisters...

Unexpected poem 6-1-2019 Explicitly latinx characters are often stereotypes Like I’m a chicanx academic and artist I don’t paint pyramids or write specific things Except to say I’m not white or a guy.