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]