The other day I had to run an errand. I took the Bx bus line to Yonkers. It happened that my bus stop was directly in front of a Mexican bakery called Café sin Dulce. I immediately recognized the aromatic Mexican bread, the cinnamon, the sugar, and the wonderful smell of baked flour. I looked …
Tag: Mexico
Accents: The Great Miracle of the Human Voice
I was born with my own sound,
with my accented soul,
low, happy, and sometimes invisible.
A Sad Love Story
* After all these years, after all that had happened, today was the beginning of the end. They had not slept the entire night. He tried to change her mind, but she looked convinced and firm about what she wanted. No words and no memories could change her anger: anger with life, anger with the …
Shoes
When I was younger, my father and mother had to leave me and my sister in the care of my grandmother in Mexico, where we were born and raised. My parents left for the United States. My dad worked hard to try to get us to live with them. I used to believe the mountains I saw from my grandmother’s house were New York, where my parents were. They seemed close, but now I know that was far.
Dimes
Since I came to this country, flat and round copper angels have been following me around. I call them angel dimes; they have been my emotional support. I don’t remember exactly the first day that I had my first encounter with one of these beautiful pieces of copper. All I know is that every time I find one, it is always on the reverse side.
I Will Walk My Steps; I Will Leave My Footprints
For me, wearing shoes symbolizes the possibility of walking and beginning new adventures. Of course, we do not need to walk to do great things. Frida Kahlo, the famous Mexican painter, who could not walk for some time, wrote, “Pies, para que los quiero si tengo alas para volar?” (Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly?) Indeed, we do not need feet to do great things.
The Best Is Yet to Come
Becoming an immigrant has never been easy, and it will never be, especially if one of the problems you face is lacking knowledge of a new language. You should have at least some minimum knowledge of the language in the place you will be living. If you don’t, it will make things very difficult.
My Little Angel
The loss that I felt that day
I could not shake with a “sorry.”
I did not want to, anyway,
for the sorrow, my heart will always carry.
Chicken Memories
I love Africa. I do not remember when our relationship was born. I grew up watching documentaries and reading encyclopedias. I viewed images of famine, Mandela free, and I was transported and dreamed, thanks to the magic of landscapes, colors, music, and chants. My native Mexico has some people with African origins, but we do not talk about it a lot. I was so happy to meet and learn more from the African people after my arrival in Paris.
Irresistible
Maybe eating tacos wasn’t cheating on my diet.
Maybe going on a diet was cheating on my tacos.
Tears and Flames
At this moment, everybody knows what happened to Notre Dame de Paris. The Paris cathedral burned for 12 hours. American television followed each image for more than five hours. All the people around the world consider this event a tragedy, and it was one. I was shocked and saddened. I watched French and American television. …
Chavelita
Dear Isabel, I remember the day I took you home. I was scared because I didn’t know anything about how to take care of a baby. I was only 14 years old. I was a child myself. The first day you went home, you had a seizure. It was the most frightening day of my …