poetry Big Mouth of Words

Hilary Cruz Mejia, a young Latinx poet from Guatemala, protests the genocidal history of her homeland, while seeking to preserve its indigenous roots.

Hilary Cruz Mejia migozine
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Big Mouth of Words 

By Hilary Cruz Mejia

I am going to talk to you about pain
The day you took the plate away from my brother
The day you cut my sister’s tongue
The day I woke up without a father
The day you took away my innocence
The day you swallowed the tears that weren’t yours

I am going to talk to you about pain
because it hurts
as a woman giving birth without anesthesia

I am going to talk to you about pain
because I don’t need your hypocrisy
go swallow it
how you swallowed everything that
didn’t belong to you
the life of my brothers and sisters

I am going to talk to you about the pain
that we have been silent for years

I am going to talk to your face
without your misery, without your oblivious eyes
without your poison food

I am going to talk to you about pain
because you didn’t care about their adventurous soul
because from their sweat you showered your streets
from our hands, you continue to take our lands
tramposo*
I am going to talk to you about pain
because I am not your slave
I am not alone
We are not alone.

*cheat

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BOCA GRANDE DE PALABRAS

Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
El día que le quitaste el plato a mi hermano
El día que le cortaste la lengua a mi hermana
El día que desperté sin mi padre
El día que me quitaste la inocencia
El día que te tragaste las lágrimas que no eran tuyas

Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
porque duele
como mujer pariendo sin anestesia

Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
porque no necesito tu hipocresía
trágatela
de la misma manera que te tragaste todo eso que
no te pertenece
la vida de mis hermanos y hermanas

Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
que hemos callado por años

Te voy a hablar a la cara
sin tu miseria, sin tus ojos inconscientes
sin tu comida envenenada

Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
porque no te importó sus almas aventureras
porque de su sudor tú regaste tus calles
de nuestras manos tomas nuestras tierras
tramposo
Te voy a hablar acerca del dolor
porque yo no soy tu esclava
No estoy sola
No estamos solxs.

Hilary Cruz Mejia, a 20-year old Latinx immigrant from Puerto de Iztapa, Guatemala, a first-generation college student and a queer poet, who sometimes is unable to find meaning in logical language, though poetry with its rhythms and alliterations has been a healing process through her transition in the U.S. She is in her second year at Skyline College, but will be transferring to SFSU in Spring 2021. She has been the president of the student Poetry Club at Skyline College since Spring 2020. In order to maintain a connection with her ancestors and to allow the soul of the newcomers to value the legacy of our ancestors, she is aspiring to become a Professor of Literature of the Americas. Hilary is currently working on her first poetry book where she encourages her readers to find the guidance of self-transcendence in their lives, and to connect with their adventurous soul.