Sunday, June 17, 2012

Jonathan Galvan - One Poem


Soldadera

Did you know that once we almost had our house taken away?
Oh yeah, and the car too?
But she would never let that happen
Even if she had to work like the slaves did
Or like the migrant workers from Mexico
She wouldn’t let that happen

Did you know that I have never really had a father?
I only saw him behind bars, or with that black box on his ankle
That said he couldn’t come outside after six o’ clock
And it was always, “What do you want? Tell me, and I’ll buy it.”
If I had known then what I know now
I would have ran my feet around at all the junk, looked up and said,
“Can you buy me a father?”

But that’s ok
My mom was always like a father
Always working like a man
Yet still beautiful like a woman
I loved how she never really had to buy me anything to make me happy
She just knew
Like all moms do

Do you see this house? This car?
All of this is ours, and she got it all by herself
Even though it cost some blood, sweat, and tears

My mom is a Soldadera
I bet yours is too
but mine is number one


*soldadera = soldier (fem.)



Jonathan Galvan is a college student in San Antonio, TX. He is studying to be an educator in the field of English and English Literature. 

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