niña de mis penas, plaga de mis pecados (child of my sorrows, plague of my sins)
Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica
2023, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Climate Hero: The indigenous women of Costa Rica from the Cabécar and Bribri tribes
mamá caresses my hair in cyclonic formations,
her voice hums with fragile passion… remembrance, reflection,
i look outwards, through glass windows worn down with age,
over the forest, demolished by the ones who can afford the time for greed,
in this room of old things forgotten, washed away like our souls,
mamá’s calloused hands weave a story in my long head of hair,
they weave a tale of a sick child who spawned the grass beneath my bare feet and the skies
that my hands attempt to reach,
a child left to die in the flaming heat and drown in the rising seas,
choking on waste and poisoned with hate,
yet just a few inches down from my scalp, a glimmer of hope arises from within this jungle of
knowledge mamá tames with her hands,
a figure, a woman is woven to life, her pejibaye peel eyes to the sky and her caobilla feet
rooted deep in the ground,
rebellion to the masses just by solely existing,
disadvantaged, disenfranchised, disowned and disparaged,
against an ocean of cries and the thunder of the powers that be,
the woman nurtures the child out of her impending doom,
with every single one of my entangled hair strands,
a tale of healing is told,
a tale of those who against fire and ice forced through,
the women who fight growing the trees and the fruits.
Reflection
Reflection
The inspiration for this poem came from the incredible stories of resilience and strength demonstrated by the indigenous women of Costa Rica, particularly those from the Cabécar and Bribri tribes. Their tireless efforts to preserve their traditional knowledge and protect the environment deeply moved me. I wanted to capture their struggle and the hope they embody through the power of words. As an artist, I am drawn to the arts because they provide a means of expressing complex emotions and ideas that may be difficult to convey through other mediums. In the process of writing this poem, I felt a mix of emotions. There was a sense of sorrow and anger at the destruction of the environment and the injustices faced by marginalized communities. But there was also hope and admiration for the strength and resilience of these women who continue to fight against all odds. The message I hope to convey to viewers of this artwork is the importance of recognizing and supporting the efforts of climate heroes like the indigenous women in Costa Rica. Their knowledge and practices hold valuable solutions for achieving environmental sustainability. We must listen to their voices, learn from their wisdom, and take collective action to protect our planet.