I have been absolutely terrible about posting this month and it is one of my favorite months of the year. I was supposed to post this poem at the beginning of the Latinx Heritage Month but I couldn’t find it till now.
De Donde Vengo is a poem I wrote almost three years ago and then translated from English into Spanish when I did the Miss Fiesta DC Pageant last year. Its funny how translating something can transform the piece completely. I would now have to translate the poem again because it is not the same piece it was before. This is a poem about not WHERE I come from but WHO.
DE DONDE VENGO (Spanish)
Me preguntan de donde vengo
Como si fuera fácil de contestar
Y si lo pienso bien ni eso es la pregunta correcta
por que no es de donde vengo pero si no de quien
Y si esa pregunta les interesa escuchen bien a mi respuesta
Y te cuento con esta poema
De quién es que vengo.
Yo Vengo de mujeres guerreras
Mujeres que con una mano aguantan el peso del mundo
con la otra pelean con perros rabiosos mientras amamantan sus
hijos ganando batallas
Vengo de ni la fuerza
de un millón de hombres podría
Hacer la rodilla
Yo Vengo de ella miro
al diablo a los ojos y
el temblo’ A ver la luz en su mirada
Vengo de ella era pequeña
pero sus manos
traían el poder de un vulcan
Yo vengo de ella cultiva
Con dedos que encienden
Fincas
Vengo de ella cocina
como la salsa
Que baila
Yo vengo de ella vive con sus pies en dos mundo
Vengo de una fe inquebrantable
De sus ave maria
Podría cambiar a qual quier
Demonio a un santo
Yo vengo de ella se quedó
por que pensaba que sin él
no era Nada
Vengo de ella se fue
porque finalmente entendió
que ella valía el oro y mucho más
Yo Vengo de un amor
tan profundo
Que podría calentar
hasta el más frío
No solamente vengo de la isla, tierra, palmera y mal
vengo de la gente
de la mujeres que sin su fuego, fuerza, poder, amor,
y su historia que llevo en el código de mi sangre
en el tambor de mi corazón y raíces
no podría estar aquí hoy
Yo vengo.
Where I come from
They ask me where I come from
As if that was so easy to answer
And if I think about it properly it’s not even the right question
Because it’s not where I am but who
So if this answer is of interest to you listen to it well
And I’ll tell you with this poem
Who is it that I come from
I come from warrior women
Women who with one hand hold the weight of the world
And with the other fight off rabid dogs
while breast feeding their children
Winning battles
I come from not even
the strength of a million men
could not make her kneel
I am from she looked
the devil in his eyes
And he trembled at the light
In her eyes
I am from she was small
But her hands
Held the power of a volcano
I am from she cultivated
With fingers that ignite
farms
I am from she cooked
Like the salsa
She dances too
I am from she lives with her feet in both worlds
From an unshakeable faith
From her ave marias
Could turn any demon
Into a saint
I come from she stayed
Because she thought that
Without him she was nothing
I am from she left because
She finally understood
That she was worth gold and much more
I am from a love
So profound that it could
Warm the cold blooded
I do not only come from the island, land, palm trees, and ocean
I come from the people
From the women that without their fire, strength, power, love
and the history that I keep encoded in my blood
In the drum of my heart and roots
I wouldn’t be here today
I am from.
I hope you enjoyed this poem it is very near and dear to my heart.
Stay colorful fam!
Jamilex La Come Libro 