Free Voices of My Life

I Belong

I am waking on this cool morning
the first small ray peeks out in utter darkness
the light coming through the window is still scarce.
I hear the distant murmurs of the crowd
the rounds of mate beginning,
wine and gin to dull the cold.
It makes me shiver with nostalgia,
the moment of praise in my family
we are people of faith
and of God we ask for health, communion,
and the blessing of our labors.
As part of a way of life I learned
I begin to pray to calm my thirst for torments
I don't know how I adapt, I do it to suit myself.

I was born to love and respect
I am going to put my soul at peace
because my own people are my pride and to them I owe myself.
Today is branding day
and since it is repeated every winter
I would like to avoid this cruel country chore
that stirs in me the most anguished feeling.
The traumatic procedures for the young cattle
such as branding with fire, and castration besides
the dehorning of those budding, fragile protuberances
for those who will never reach adulthood.
The chance is taken to deworm them
and they are vaccinated, ensuring the health
and well-being of the new stock.

I am going to be brave and tell myself I am capable.
I clothe myself in unlove to arm myself with courage
the shadows of a bold and daring gaucho, unfortunately,
if they are hidden they cannot be seen and go unnoticed.
I lift the brim of my hat with a decisive gesture
quartering my weaknesses and tendernesses
I go to meet my horse.
I tell him that after saddling him I will set the saddle in place
as if asking his permission while he looks at me
I tighten the girth around his belly
and taking care not to harm his coat
I patiently even out the stirrups.
I give the best of myself, showing bravery
I take the reins firmly in my hands,
and ride off at a gallop across the pampean plain.

Its beauty lights me up, after just a few strides
nature wraps around me, full of subtle mystery.
With the song of the birds as if orchestrating my pace
I distract myself in the plowed furrows of the road.
While I go along thinking about the cattle industry
if the meat is tender, it can be sold at a better price.
Many males are castrated shortly after being born
ending their lives in the markets, because
the Argentine population loves its barbecues.
Among the grove of trees, far off, I make out the silhouette of the windmill
and I hear, sounding like the tenderest concert,
the voices of the lonely cattle lowing.
The few that will grow into bulls
are left free in the big pasture.
The calves woke shut inside the corral
today they will be turned into steers
they cannot even imagine what they will soon be living through.
I turn a deaf ear, quieting my emotions
I strain to attain the coldness
and the roughness so as to be like the rest of the country folk.
With euphoria, there they all are, getting ready for the roping
wanting to turn a day of hard work
into a lively day of amusement.
Eager to show off their skills and abilities
they do not drive them meekly into the wooden chute.
They prefer to catch them one by one, on the move
with long braided leather ropes.
Not all are tame, in the huddled herd.
Some, in an effort to defend themselves,
bolt off at full speed, blowing furious air from their muzzles
and force the country men to run and leap the gate,
showing in this way that the beast shies away from their intentions.
These men no longer use boleadoras to hobble them.
They whirl the lasso with precision, and once they land it
the knot closes on the animal, tightening to the end.
From the momentum of the run, though it pulls back,
it spins half a turn in the air and falls stunned.
With strength and speed, three of them work at once:
the one holding it down doesn't let up,
the other throws himself on top with the weight of his whole body
and the third ties its front legs,
immobilizing them mercilessly.
Once again I feel my veins turn to ice,
I don't want to be part of this scene.
But I tell myself and try to convince myself
that I am a gaucho by inheritance and by choice.
I see my people when I look around me,
all of them bearing up against the calf's resistance.
They agree, almost in unison, the cut must be made fast
and in just the right spot they apply the edge of the belt knife,
they open the incision and without hesitating pull out the testicles.
They drop them one by one into the bucket of clean water
to keep them until the end of the day's work.
They apply screwworm salve to the cut so it won't get infected,
though with the cold it's less likely
that flies will come nosing around the wound.
I snap to at the sound of my father's voice,
pitched with vigor, urging me to crank the handle
of the forge to stoke the flames.
It's time to brand the boss's initials,
which will be stamped on the back of the downed animal
with a long iron "red hot" pulled from the burning fire.
The sizzle on the hide and the smell of burnt hair, I feel.
A sharp slowing of the calf's pulse, I sense.
The smoke spreads through the air as if warning the rest of the herd.
I see hundreds of head waiting, they are hardened.
The afternoon is falling, the ordeal is about to end
I've already managed to overcome my laziness, the worst is over.
The handsome young men are ready to dehorn
and the exhausted animals, lowering their heads,
are lined up one by one, waiting only for the pressure
that snaps off the little horn bud.
With care and good handling of the long, heavy pincers,
this should neither draw blood nor cause pain.
Finally, with the vaccination procedure,
the invasive and rough techniques come to an end.
The country folk seem hard-hearted;
they are sturdy men and with spirit and energy they hurry along
the slow pace, out in the open field, of the herd
that is heading off with the freedom to go
as far as the wire fence will allow.
I ought to be acclimated to my lands,
a thousand times I stood boldly alongside those tasks;
how can it be that I haven't turned out fierce.
I don't feel like a true gaucho, and yet,
my roots do not fade, and so I understand
that tradition endures and does not wither.
It thrills me to see my people cheering on the grill masters
who, though they are tired and worn out,
do not stop their work, cooking until they crackle:
the criadillas, or testicles, which once golden brown
they savor with homemade bread, alongside the asado.
The singers and payadores head home strumming their guitars.
And in the west, they bid farewell to the sun as it colors the sky.

You look at yourself with love

Moments when the world seemed to stand still.
The sunset dyed the sky a thousand colors
while within me grew the love of my loves.
I looked so cheerful and radiant.
With adolescent splendor and a special shine in my eyes,
I was getting ready, expectant.
I was about to learn that my life would change forever.
A miracle was blossoming inside me, like an unexpected gift.
Full satisfactions emerged in an endless stream of unknown sensations.
A crossroads appeared between books and dreams,
I was only seventeen, with studies still to complete.
An inner strength was awakening in me.
In an unexpected and challenging tapestry
threads intertwined to weave my destiny.
Ever since I was a girl I imagined you like a treasure.
In my little pocket notebook, hardcover and spiral-bound,
I carefully kept every page with your name on it.
Month after month, I discovered the wonder of motherhood
my body was transforming with grace
your movements were like a delicate dance
and every little kick I felt drove me wild.
When no one was looking, I focused all my attention
trying to feel you.
Alone, I looked at you with tenderness
and let all the purity flow in the intimacy of my being.
I would have spoken and sung to you
but I didn't know you could hear my voice.
My loose dresses with full skirts
carefully concealed the astonishing roundness.
My navel poked out and grew more prominent
pointing fervently, as if about to burst,
safe and warm, longing to break open.
Time dispelled the fears
and the uncertainty, guiding this new landscape.
I longed to have you and hold you for real
when you let me know that the time had come.

Fourteen turns of the clock passed slowly
and I eased my plight by promising myself over and over
that your arrival was a bond no one would break.
I loved you from the very beginning
and you gave a purpose to my own existence.
The guidelines of the era were strict,
the nursery was in fashion,
and with sheer boldness they took us apart,
without my even knowing you.
I waited anxiously for permission to look at each other
and truly feel each other,
impossible to calm myself if I couldn't hold you
and if someone else was giving you the bottle.
Reality, with its distressing criteria, surpassed all my dreams.
In a torrent of love, of hope and gratitude
I longed for my milk to flow so I could feed you.
Breastfeeding was chaos with so much unrestrained advice,
they made me feel that you couldn't connect with me.

From that beginning, the difficulties piled up
after the intrusive involvement of my family,
which prevented our privacy.
You became a coveted figure,
everyone wanted to hold you, the demand was reckless.
I didn't demand respect, and our relationship suffered wounds,
they stole precious moments from us,
they snatched away your first closeness to me.
In that harmful situation, you grew up without seeing me as your mother,
my heart suffered, but yours, besides, did not understand.
Forgive me if I allowed our connection not to be exclusive,
the consequences were unjust and thankless for us both.

And so it was that each time I felt more useless and empty.
In other arms you sought attachment
Perhaps an echo of my love?
Were you longing, maybe, to find refuge and safety?
Were you trying to kindle in me the drive I never exercised?
I regret not having given you enough proof
of my purest affection
I was not the shelter you needed
and my blurred personality was my greatest flaw.
Your tears were always mine as well
I did not understand the reason for your weeping
your desperate calls
you yearned for a mother with courage and self-confidence
one who would uphold her role despite so many tangles.
You tried it a thousand ways in every gesture, in every glance,
you wanted me to defend what was ours no matter what.
In my mind I created the illusion of seeing us together
in bonds of union, where you and I
formed an unsurpassable fit
like pieces destined for a harmonious and eternal whole
where not even the air could come between us.
We preferred to play with simple interlocking pieces
where the parts were irreplaceable and fit together perfectly.

In your childhood we built a world
where coordinating seemed an endless riddle.
We found it very hard to find a common language.
I longed to guide your flight without clipping your wings
I sought balance amid our disagreements in communication
and tried to meet your needs.
The opposing currents between your parents
made the journey harder, taking merit away from them.
I was between a rock and a hard place, in a constant dilemma
balancing limitless freedom and upbringing with boundaries.
With my weaknesses I marked forks in the road of your learning.
My mistakes have left a mark that I now seek to mend.
You grew up with clear goals, your passion shining through
for learning computer systems.
I saw limitless potential
and with every step I fervently encouraged your dreams.
The double talk and ambiguous messages criss-crossing
with so many expectations all around you
made of you a scattered young man searching for his own worth,
confused in a labyrinth of choices, with no end in sight.
Even so, in the complexity of your being, one truth shone bright.
That light you would never lose over the years
has made you a capable man, strong in your conviction.
With every step you take, I see a light
defying the shadows of the past;
with great effort you have woven
a bright and persistent strength for rising above.
In every thread, a story of courage,
a lesson of love and redemption.
Enterprising and determined to triumph,
with an iron will
you have been rebuilding the fragments of that undervalued young man.
Your life is testimony that wounds can heal
and that strength can spring from the cracks of pain.
In your gaze I see reflected not only the child you were
but the man you are, proud and full of promises fulfilled.
I feel a deep gratitude
for teaching me that love is an eternal rebirth
and for giving me the chance to be loved.
Where tears fall, there a hope takes root;
in every crack of the soul a new confidence blossoms.
And in this life, full of ups and downs and lessons,
I feel blessed to be part of your brave journey.

My little light

The divine conscience told me it was possible
for you were already an existing being.
Little by little what seemed unbelievable
faded away, beyond all the diagnoses.
A licensed city doctor showed me the unpredictable.
There is no reason to be alarmed nor cause for astonishment
you can find new enthusiasm to reach your desires.

My princess, on a hot January day, in the middle of the afternoon,
I held you in my arms
as if the tenderest melody were being born.
Blessed are the eyes that looked at you for a second
and saw you forever so beautiful.
I felt my life brimming with joy
and without a doubt I understood the truth that day.
I let go of my tears and unleashed my weeping before such purity
I hoped such beauty would soothe me.
Like caresses to the soul,
today we are still captivated by the magic of that lingering memory.
From an early age your choice was clear:
to discard the pacifier
and prefer your little hand as the only flavor of comfort.
I defended my opinion, my thinking and my feeling.
I argued against social conditioning
with the intention of protecting you.
I would not hurt your little ears with pearl earrings
that promise a fleeting sparkle.
In you I saw light by nature.
But my efforts were in vain
and they brought you back with earrings on each side.
Thick tears of helplessness furrowed my cheeks
you looked at me with teary little eyes
I heard you, and it hurt me!
Sleep, my little girl, sleep, my sunshine
sleep, little one of my heart
for mommy is watching with all her love
as you close your little eyes seeking her warmth.
Play with the little angels in lands of dreams
and tomorrow they will bring you a smiling awakening.
Joy everywhere
always ready to come out with your enchanting smile
in a subtle summons. Your perseverance is strategic
in the way you persuade.
Every day, at the same hour
minutes before lunch, no matter how
or to what end, you invited me to drop everything
and it was a given that you would succeed.
In a conversation without words
you taught me to treasure those brief, precious moments.
You knew I needed to rest
as if you could sense my heavy burden.
I carried you in my arms, quickly
because the hands of the clock showed
that we had to hurry; duty was pressing.
The world was ours in that stolen instant
guiding me toward calm, the bustle left aside.

Different facets with equal intensity
you enjoyed the rain, muddy up to your fists
and you ran among the trees in total freedom.
Climbed up the fig tree, playing house with your dolls
and the yellow bag full of little clothes!
An unmatched tenor under the shade of the elms
looking like the girls from “Chiquititas”.
Together, with a mirror in hand
I'd do your hair, covering your whole head with colorful little ponytails.
We spent long stretches of time having fun
with the wooden block puzzles,
and with dominoes and shape-sorters too.
With equal fervor, your love for the theater,
your devotion in every scene,
a spectacle where your passion blooms.
Your enthusiasm for being part of the band
shone like magic that magnifies
my satisfaction at seeing you with the clarinet, it grows.
Your dedication to keeping it clean and cared for
is shown with every melody.

Opportunities that opened up in your life,
like learning the Portuguese language,
breathing in new dawns on your travels, that was your interest.
Sleepovers with your girlfriends were all the rage; with so much laughter
they stayed up until dawn,
and I listened, puzzled, to Pía Mar and Sol, without understanding.
Thank you, daughter, for explaining to me that they called each other by nicknames.
I'm grateful for your patience, I know you took great pains
to keep your bedroom in better shape.
Trying to keep things tidy and everything in its place
so they could be found more easily;
it wasn't a whim, but a necessity.

At every step of life you stood by my side
in unconditional support, a cherished gift.
Your decision to change schools
when you saw me going through a hard time;
you joined in naturally with my anguished distress.
Your way of being, always willing to change your routine
and adapt to new circumstances, with admirable discipline.

Gala night, fifteenth birthday party, a dream come true
radiant with immeasurable spontaneity.
Complicity in the planning
I guarded your wishes like a secret held close.
The whole sea with fish, octopuses and starfish in its details,
blues and sky-blues prevailed, in wide elemental tulles.
On one special evening, everything was splendor and enchantment.
Long Sunday afternoons when you wanted to be with me,
postponing your own longings to make my task easier
in a role that sometimes overwhelms,
full of helplessness and of challenges that cloud it.

Sharing your trip to Bariloche on a dreamed-of graduation journey,
I recalled my own with sighs that flow anchored.
My being blossomed like a teenage girl
and from the very first instant your happiness was plain to see.
The slide down from the snowy summit like unhurried snowballs
and breathless in a marvelous descent, free falls into the wind.
On the costume night I did not feel older
but part of your world, of light and radiance.
Try not to give anyone the power
to decide about your well-being,
because you are strong, with courage and integrity enough,
and if you stay alert to discover who is lying,
your prosperity and your future will fill you with joy and happiness.
Your first experiences in the big city:
to create, to imagine, and a world to explore.
Enormous green spaces
for gazing at the mild winter sun.
New emotions among buildings
and wide streets of flowing traffic,
impatient horns that could be heard
from the height of your apartment.
The elevators that so delighted you
for rising up and seeing the world from on high.
Young girl full of ideals and goals to reach
aspirations and prospects that confirmed
a future yet to be created
as if the beyond took wing in a flight without end.
To finish your degree and link it to advertising
integrating design with publications
was a matter of simple connections.
Every step you took came alive in your hands
you showed your talent and your magic shone with splendor.
When everything was unknown
and when uncertainty harried you
I was there for you on cold days and nights, offering you sincere support.

Especially beloved
when you took me in your arms
and celebrated the news of your motherhood.
My deep breath in sensations without dimension
the first grandchild, a baby on the verge of wonder
destined to live, and in our lives, to grow.
If some crisis disturbs you with sadness or insecurity.
Do not hesitate to believe that there will be a new opportunity.
Open the window every morning, upon waking
and let the warmth and the breeze caress you
because the light strengthens you, filling your heart with love.
Hold on and stay true to your essence of a noble soul
for there are no sighs so abrasive and harmful
that they should last too long
taking your affection away. From up high
the panoramic view opens up other perspectives, everything is vibrant,
offered at your feet when the heart catches fire.

You can do it!

Son beloved and tenderly cared for
a safe refuge in my womb
tender movements in perfect silence.
My promise was to make you strong, my hope
to join together in dreamed-of embraces.
My gift is your existence and my greatest reward.
In that courtyard beneath the clear blue sky
you clung to my shirt like a little beast
while my legs opened the way to the bridge
and charmingly you dragged your slender little body
crawling with the hope of crossing to the other side.
You lifted your little eyes to make sure I would give you back a smile.
In a game without rules, nothing was imposed
as always and in no hurry.
Hours, minutes and seconds
time was all ours.
On those funny mornings, near noon
we walked among the trees along the sidewalk
and tasted black and white mulberries.
Your words sweetened my ears with
a special flavor of stained mouths.

Golden years passed like a furtive whisper
precious time vanished, and in that carelessness
an echo of what could have been.
Hard to decipher and understand
in innocent desire you only wanted to laugh.
A different reality was mine, bent on adjusting
my own moorings, unable to join your world of fantasy.
You dreamed up evenings of joy with peals of laughter
and charm that slipped through my fingers without my being able to make them beautiful.

Wholesome episodes that united us in games and stories
fleeting instants that faded as they passed
leaving hollows unfilled, empty spaces.
The animal dominoes, entertainment par excellence,
though the less coveted interlocking blocks were not left aside.
Every corner of adventures in your sister's company,
unique sensations to be discovered in nature,
perched among the branches of the fig tree.

Writing, making up fictions, was a pleasure.
Soccer was a scene of heroes in action more than a sport.
Players like Chilavert, the star of the report,
was a guy who lived in Chile, the way you saw it.
Your greatest passion, Boca Juniors and its team,
celebrating goals with pure shouting, young man,
you'd pound on everything with temper;
if the walls could talk you'd know I'm not lying.
Every victory quickened the rhythm of your heart
and you defended the defeats with a burning throat.

Always ready with jubilation and overflowing charm.
Your being gave off light, even if in the sky
only now and then a star would shine.
Your vitality glowed like a lighthouse hard to dim.
Wind, rain or heat, nothing could stop your vibrant spirit.
You radiated laughter and peals of joy, and your happiness blossomed.
I'll be frank with you: you brought about, clearly
and to spare, a certain gladness.
It was your fascinating way of living,
free as a bird impossible to cage.
I stood by your side in firm commitment,
convinced that education was the only worthwhile option
and that schooling would guarantee your future.
I sought to make you greater, and my intention
was to give you the best in every attempt.
I, unable to keep up with you.
And you, trying to switch my role.
I fell short in understanding
and did not know how to foster a better rapport.
My advice faded away before the king's disputes.
Limitations rose like walls before me.

As parents, we aligned our visions in opposite directions
leaving you a trace of confusion for the lack of agreement.
The worth of perseverance is learned through discipline
but you were captivated by simplicity and the easy road.
Now I see that the universe is vast and divine
I did not consider that each of us has his own destiny.
An adolescent steeped in a labyrinth full of emotions
you struggled to decipher your own convictions
exploring a world of temptations and mere distractions.

The bad company enthralled you,
caressing you with its deceitful power.
Complex challenges in the face of unknown experiences
defending with tenacity the superfluous and the unreal!
Each dawn you sought to break free of the chains
with determination and will. In the midst of the turmoil
you managed to dispel the mist with warmth
and took a brave and daring step.
You radiated peace and new friendships arose
being a good friend, and of a sensitive heart.
Love transcends storms and restores sanity.
Thank you for sharing journeys together
in a bond that endures, sincere.
Your attitude is an attentive and helpful gift
that I have seen in every gesture of yours.
Your kindness and gentle manner please me
attentive to my needs in the way you love me.
You support me when uncertainty takes hold of me
and you claim that we will always be together.
You perfume the air with tenderness
when that vile bitter patience tends to cover us.
You wrap my back in your sturdy arms
and declare how much you love me. And I feel you close.
You are my marvel!
I would always want to see you happy
and I lie awake just to know you are well.
In your forgiveness I found my sweetest breath.
You walk through your adulthood with courage and without fear.
Do not lose your dreams, keep believing in yourself.
Remember that with every step you take
you are not alone, greatness dwells within you
and in your hands are the reins of your life.
Today, looking back, I understand that those thankless trials
were steps in your life, not mere outbursts.
With an inspiring voice you rise up strong,
unbreakable and ready to be reborn.
You are the proof that in adversity you find your strength.

That woman no longer exists for you

That woman no longer exists for you,
the one who loved you so much and told you so, so often.
For a thousand eternities my body became yours, in your arms.
Walking stealthily through some secret hiding place
you made me feel that in you, everything was worth it.
My heart galloped when you throbbed in my breast
reminding me that I could not forget you, nor did I want to.
Our bodies blended dark skin with paleness.
My hair, golden as the sun, mingled and shone
just as my eyes twinkled when I looked at you.

Of all things, I had to fall in love with your lovely little black eyes!
I was a bud far too young, and I began to lose my head.
Those magical moments passed without our knowing they would never come again.
That dreamlike life felt so real it seemed a valid sensation.
From the day I saw you, you were like a thorn
that when I pulled to draw it out, I felt my soul tearing apart.

You forgot that I covered you with kisses until dawn
and bathed you in scents and perfumes without your ever asking me to.
I never left you without company; on rainy afternoons I kissed your forehead.
Never, because of me, were you left with an empty soul.
I loved you as no one has ever loved you.
I wrapped my arms around your neck when senseless storms came down.
I left everything to love you

today it is only memories of yesterday.
I was not like just anyone; pain
and silence punished me differently.
I saw myself incomplete and surviving seemed unbearable to me
I pulled the threads taut and stretched them with all my strength
fearing that my breathing might be cut off.
I clung to need, and I chose not to listen to myself.
Time slipped away quickly
and more and more I waited for you to give me everything.
I begged and pleaded that you would fill that anxious heart with peace
having confused love with protection.
That everything would blow up at any moment, I sensed.

I stopped going in circles; every event brought me closer to the end.
Do you remember those days, when sometimes I kept quiet, and other times, I smiled?
It all stayed behind, far away in time.
No longer will I hide my smiling sadness, like a vile, aching lie.
Nor will I walk again in the darkness with my sad smile.
I stopped dreaming, nothing more is going to happen.
No more touch of skin on sweating bodies
that left behind a broken heart, though it looked like something loving.

How different life is without you!
The raw winter pierced my skin
seeping into my very bones. I can't describe it,
my head rested on the pillow, turned to the right
the way I always let it fall onto your shoulder
But you no longer held it up!
In the vastness of the bed my icy legs
and my frost-covered feet stirred, slowly stretching out their tips
sliding beneath the sheets.
Without the weight of your warm hand caressing my cheeks
it was impossible to fall asleep, searching for what no longer existed.
When I wanted to smile at you, your outline suddenly vanished.
I saw you in the corners
but your figure faded from the walls.

It seemed like a trick played on my tenderness!
I spoke your name in the night
and when I opened my eyes, the raw truth flung me into nothingness itself.
That abyss grew larger and larger, carrying me toward weariness.
What I felt was so overwhelming!
Fear, like a wild beast, took hold of me.
Hold on!
Doubt and loss of control tried to rule me.
Hold on!
I'd rather adapt to this solitude than go on lying.
Time seemed to stand still, rekindling once more
so much indignation, hopelessness and unleashed rage.
Where was I when what happened happened, right under my nose?

Weeping, I looked at myself in the mirror, ashamed
I felt the fire flowing, burning my veins from within
like rivers carving through my whole burning body.
I spoke to myself harshly, without compassion, with wounding words
How forsaken I saw myself! like someone who loses the most important race
of their life.
The sky looked grayer and grayer and the storm drew near without granting any respite.
I was falling into temptation!
I became addicted to attachment, having you once, and again,
and two more times
it was all out of control by then, and then some.

Not knowing how deep the crack was growing
that ran through that cannibal's kiss
which drained even my last energies.
My soul was crumbling without mercy
like a sore that would not close.
Past the point of no return, I lost all serenity
and the truth lay in wait like a cruel, gloomy shadow.
When I lifted my gaze to the sky and could see the guiding thread
a new light opened up, leading me to the Savior.
I learned to live by recovering the dreams you took with you that day
when you crossed the threshold of my door.
I renewed the room with a new breeze
escaping from the laments.
The wild kisses you had given me vanished into thin air.
It was about time!
I'm grateful you didn't love me the way I wanted!
Things are perfect just as they are,
if you had loved me that way I would never have found myself
and today I wouldn't be who I am.
Man of my life, your mission was not to heal my old wounds.
I was a little girl claiming importance and demanding attention.
Forgive me for not having suspected, with my mistaken way of loving,
that you were a wretched being.
To love me was all you owed me!
And even so, you didn't manage that either.
At last my throat comes loose to bless.

My children gave meaning to my life
and together we recovered as a family
the old motto: patience, wait, and trust.
No one else in the mirror
only I could recognize myself, looking like a graceful young woman.
The old armor that hid my sorrows fell away
revealing my true self in that reflection.
Omens spring from my healthy, happy heart
I regain my calm and sing to give myself courage
in case some roughness might have remained.
Let the drums sound, let the bells ring!
I am free like the birds in the wind
crossing long flights without borders.
You and I, my girl, we are together.
I see you and now I see myself!
My sweet little one,
I realized you had always been there for me.
I return my own gaze, for the first time,
with gestures of lovingness, and generous kindness.
I forgive myself for the love I did not give myself
with gentleness and compassion.
To the extent that I can love myself with all my being, in someone else,
in the same way, I will be able to reflect it.
Life goes on, a new enigma awaits us with each awakening.
Let us try everything!

Sparkling little eyes

Feelings joined, braided by years of family tenderness.
Refuges during childhood vacations,
taking turns in each home.
The sky painted the rainbow with colors ever since we were little
completing the journey of my life of which you were always a part
together and never apart, being cousins, that alone was the endeavor.
Cycles that followed one another among challenges and lessons
showed us different paths, putting an end to the world of games.
At every turn, free will capriciously forged new destinies.
Impeccable brilliance, tenacious gleam that kept us faithful
to that first union, shining with force,
the deep roots the heart embraces.
In every moment, an unbreakable subtle bond, across the distance,
a persistent invisible tie that outwits time beyond all instances.

We breathed a bridge of light into the darkest path
like a lighthouse hidden from sight, that will never allow the sleeplessness.
Many were the challenges each of us had to overcome;
there I was, hitting bottom in the darkness,
when the hard stumbles knocked me down,
and in that abyss your face was my clarity.
With every farewell your mark was left on me,
hard to ignore; I trusted in you, my bulwark against failure.

My hope, my support, hung only from your hands;
with your presence, every fear fell to pieces.
I could barely hold my gaze still, in your eyes bringing me light.
Infinite perseverance to fulfill your commitment
after making me promise I would wait for you the next day.
Your effort to see me carry on without letting me drop my arms,
the insistent struggle united us beyond melancholy.
Your family was waiting for you, and I, renewed, waited for you;
my pulse was on alert, focused on that clock that was worth everything.
Like flickering stars eternally connected,
our souls spoke to each other in silences, in glances,
and every nightfall I found you in my dreams.
Stories of a universe without laments
or shadows, transforming old wounds
into calm minds, infinite serenity.
There is in your heart a sweetness that is never stirred,
and you dispel the darkness like a blessed light.
Have you seen that cousin, how much value she placed on your visit?
After so many turns like a carousel, where everything spins round and round,
what never left arrives all at once
to explore the idea of a deep connection
that transcends distances like an inexplicable phenomenon.

Your successes, my joys;
your advice, my falls,
shared in the reunion of that long, drawn-out night
like threads weaving emotions discovered in life's maturity.
In a moment of needing one another, it takes courage
to dare to say it, that feeling, once mute,
which we struggled to name, for now we know it is called love.
A bond that overcame every taboo and every pain,
stronger than time, brighter than the sun.
And so, with bravery, we named it at last:
the love of cousins, unique and endless.
With whom else is it worth talking?
United not only by blood, but by affinity.
The eternal topics piled up as a pretext to stretch out that little while,
which went on and on without setting any end,
where our beings found connection in every word,
a world of intentions, and in every silence, an emotive symphony.
The anchoring that joined us at the beginning of the expanding universe
gave off a great burst of protons and neutrons
that made the quanta peek out
in an attraction beyond all reason.
Eternally connected like a magnet
that draws opposites together.
I could take on the intensity of the sensations
in a blast that resolves difficulties,
dispels confusion, in this cosmos of affections
and for no reason at all, makes people happy with no further explanation.
We know that coincidence does not exist
with every positive phrase that springs forth, a perfect divine plan is revealed.

The sound of my footsteps

I think…
my peaceful gaze contemplates everything
perhaps the stars are twinkling behind the vast blackness
today I don't see them, but I suppose they dwell in the sky just as they did yesterday.
I need no interpreters to describe this reality
my glasses let me imagine them in many colors.
The flashes the droplets spread through the prism of my lenses
steep with magic the night sunk in darkness.
The sound of my footsteps echoing on the bridge strikes me,
the lights of the metal pierce me with their gleam, creating dancing shadows.
I feel caught in an unmatched sense of connection with my surroundings
the mysterious drizzle wraps an atmosphere of calm,
and the smell of wet earth mingles with the metallic scent of the passageway.

My drenched figure
glides through the shadows, clearing away the mist.
My footfalls, like echoes in the depths,
are a challenge on the slippery sidewalks the desolate streets await me, stealthy,
while I move on calmly, relaxed and unhurried.
A faint breeze sets my blond hair in motion
releasing an endless succession of drops
that slowly furrow my cheeks
as if asking permission to caress them.
My reddened nose takes the leading role
for being the standout feature on my cold face.
My lips notice nothing out of the ordinary
singing with an easy voice, natural chords
on this special walk.
My smile, in perfect fullness of beauty
and musicality, is like a lighthouse
that draws people's attention
that pauses to confirm that what they see is true and harmonious.

You are on your way up

You are on your way up
and with every step you take
you recover energies that seemed to have stalled.

You are on your way up
with your firm step
without looking down and with your head held high.

You are on your way up
carrying a backpack loaded with wisdom
and lessons learned.

You are on your way up
with joy for everything you receive
as a consequence of what you sowed, in a well-deserved harvest.

You are on your way up
and you feel like congratulating yourself,
recognizing that you add a trophy with each new departure.

You are on your way up
you already knew it was for your own good and joy,
you wished for it, but you couldn't imagine how or when it would happen.

You are on your way up
and at times your feet tremble.
Even so, and with your head held high, your movement goes on.

You are on your way up
confident, you still can't see the end of the journey,
but you are certain that lights are burning, waiting for you.

You are on your way up
and don't think this time was any different, never waver,
because going down is not an option, my dear girl.

You are on your way up
Brave for choosing to heal emotional attachment
unlearning and breaking patterns is healthy
and you are convinced, in the end.

You are on the way up
looking at the beyond
you see yourself from afar as if you were
once again your heart overflowing with pure feelings
and you know that all the love you have given is real and genuine.
You have earned the reward of having freedom well understood.
Admit that it is now a fact,
truth comes into your life and happiness in its greatest splendor.