De Donde Soy By MJ De La Cruz

Hola todxs! My name is María José, I’m a non-binary queer who is an undocumented immigrant, a leo, loves food, and enjoys swimming. This summer I’m interning at allgo to be more involved in the queer community. This poem is a piece to introduce myself to all the people who are a part of the allgo community. I hope my openness allows y’all to get to know me a bit. This poem is special to me because it’s my first time sharing a poem on a public platform ! 

I’m from broken clocks,
From Vaporu not Vapor Rub and Modelo
I am from the smell of hot salsa 
(Fresh, delicious, it burns like fire)
I am from hibiscus tea, aloe vera
Whose texture I remember as if I were touching it now 

I am from making tamales on nochebuena, and bushy eyebrows, from 
Ricardo and Margarita.
I’m from the what-happened? And what’s mine is yours. 
I’m from the be thankful and the si se puede.
I am from the Virgen Maria,
Sitting in the back of church
While listening to words of hate.

I am from Celaya, Guanajuato,
Pan dulce, and cajeta. 
From the port under my mama’s chest.
The darkness that i’m trying to protest

In our closet is a white binder,
Yearning for more,
A lack of childhood pictures
To remind me to hold tight to memories.
I am from brown skin, thick hair, and powerful women
But I am also all the things that don’t align with where I am from.

Comments 1

  1. MJ, this is a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing it with the world. So proud to be your friend and excited to see where you go. Con Amor! ❤️

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