Amá – A Poem
I ask my amá, “Amá porque son mudos?”
She looks at me confused.
“Que quieres? Que seamos pericos o que?”
I say, that’s not what I mean.
She looks at me confused as she adds salt to the food.
“Que? Porque tu papá esta en la sala y yo acá?”
I say, “No es que, nevermind.”
She looks at me confused.
“Pues tu papá esta haya haciendo sus cosas y yo estoy haciendo las mías. Eso que tiene?”
Amá that’s not what I mean.
“Haber pues, de que quieres hablar hija?”
Amá this is not how it works.
Amá what I mean is you work too hard and you are always too tired.
Too tired to have a conversation with your hija, even though I hope you want to.
Amá what I mean is, I yearn for conversation.
Amá what I mean is, I want to learn about you.
Amá what I mean is, I want you to share with me your life experiences.
Amá what I mean is, I need more of you.
But instead I say, sabes que amá, mejor ya nada.
Mejor ya nada, because you work too hard so we have nothing missing en la casa.
Mejor ya nada, because I understand that you work too hard and are too tired for conversation.
Mejor ya nada because without saying a single word, you say everything and more.
Mejor ya nada, because I don’t want to be an ungrateful latosa that has been given everything and still wants more.
Mamá, porque son mudos? I already know why.
Porque la acciones dicen mas que las palabras.
Written by: Victoria Camacho
[A SupaDaily Community Submittal]
