Alicia Hernández Coronel
3 Poems
Origin
They ask me where are you from?
I tell them I’m from Venice
before it was hipster–
We laugh and they wait for me to continue.
So, I tell them
I am from ancient land
Indigenous to the Americas
where spaniards tried to conquer
tierra of Benito Juarez
I’m from campesino land
birthing cacao and tejate
drinks of the dioses,
I’m from Jarabes mixtecos
Lunes del Cerro
cempasuchil adorned streets
Dia de los muertos
calendas y trompetas
baro negro y tejidos
papel picado y alebrijes
de Dios y de dioses
Español y lengua Indigenas
mezcal, gusanito, chapulines
pan de muerto,
mole negro, tlayudas y quesillo
Hierve el Agua,
Monte Alban,
Ejutla,
Zaachila,
Pochutla,
Mitla,
Puerto Escondido–
pero yo, nunca lo he visto.
But I have never visited.
So tell me, where am I from?
To be Free
I give myself permission to be free
To be free, to be free, to be free.
Free to feel like a human.
Free without restrictions
Free without the constant fear
of limits created by borders
A human who needs no documentation
to prove their worthiness.
To be free of the weight of flight or fight
that comes with hiding.
These fist were not meant to fight
they were meant to write
these soft hands dare dream of paper and pen
liberation through truth and ink
I’m too full of words to be silenced
I am free, I am free, I am free.
Papi y Yo
Pedaling
down Broadway
the oceans breeze
sipping sunlight
stored in our brown skin
pedaling
lungs inflating,
inhaling
gratitude–
and you
60, but right now
10, 9, 8, 7, 6
pedaling,
childhood memories
bridging time,
freedom a green frame,
rubber eating asphalt.
Us, innocent and free
from the weights of life
claiming our own liberty.
You, childlike spirit,
jubilant vibrancy of
cherry blossoms
blooming in spring,
pedaling,
pedaling,
You, looking back at me.
Me, closing the distance
of all the winter years spread thin.
Us, both 6
laughing uncontrollably.
This right now is happiness
Papi y yo
ridding
down Broadway street.
Bio
Alicia Hernández Coronel (she/her/ella) is a free spirited, Oaxacan born and LA raised aspiring writer and poet. You can find her writing in local coffee shops in her hometown of Los Angeles or rolling around on the sand at the beach and painting sunsets. She is a California State University Northridge alumni and as a DREAMer, her work focuses on issues of identity and culture. She is currently working on her first poetry collection with an emphasis on the issues that affect the “undocumented” community. Alicia believes in creating space for creativity, flowing and blooming to capture snippets of time and document life. Her writing is inspired by love and powered by strong cafecito.