hay un país en el mundo
colocado
en el mismo trayecto del sol.
y yo estoy en él.
intentando nadar en sus aguas de ron y morirsoñando,
intentando no ahogarme,
intentando volver al lugar de donde soy.
en las orillas del mar
de este país en el mundo
la arena cuenta la historia de aquellos que estuvieron antes de mí
de los barcos,
los barcos,
los barcos que dieron y robaron,
los barcos que me dieron mis rizos y mi nariz,
mi español y mi apellido.
hay un país en el mundo
colocado
en el mismo trayecto del sol.
y yo estoy en él,
con amor por sus lluvias de café y gente cálida,
sus calles y sus ríos,
playas y canciones.
hay un país en el mundo
colocado
en el mismo trayecto del sol.
y yo estoy en él,
temiendo por sus mujeres y su belleza,
temiendo por sus niñas,
temiendo por, y a, sus hombres sin amor.
hay un país en el mundo,
colocado
en el mismo trayecto del sol.
y yo estoy en él.
su tierra tiene más poemas de los que sabe leer,
más canciones de las que puede cantar,
más esperanza de la que ha perdido.
todavía hay esperanza
para este país en el mundo
colocado en el mismo trayecto del sol.
y yo estoy en él.

there is a country in the world
put on the same trajectory as the sun
and i am in it
trying to swim in its waters of *** and morirsoñando
trying to stay afloat,
trying to swim back to where i came from.
in the shores of the sea
of this country in the world
the sand tells the stories of those who came before me
the ships,
the ships,
the ships that gave and took away,
the ships that gave me my curls and my nose,
my spanish and my last name.
there is a country in the world
put on the same trajectory as the sun
and i am in it,
with love for its coffee rains and warm people,
for its streets and rivers,
beaches and songs.
there is a country in the world
put on the same trajectory as the sun
and i am in it,
afraid for its women and their beauty,
afraid for its girls,
afraid of, and for, its men without love.
there is a country in the world
put on the same trajectory as the sun
and i am in it,
and this land holds more poems than it can read,
more songs than it can sing,
more hope than what it has lost.
there is hope
for a country in the world
put on the same trajectory as the sun
and i am in it.

tell me
i am beautiful
not because i need to hear it
not because if you do not say it i won’t believe it
(because i will believe it, i already do)
tell me
i am beautiful
because you think so
because i am

aren’t you tired of looking for love?
aren’t you tired of waiting for it?
the love like a movie like a song like a story like a dream like a poem?
aren't you tired?
isn’t your hope weary?
and, don’t you see?
love has always been here,
the love you crave,
the love like a movie like a song like a story like a dream like a poem
love like a river like a waterfall like an ocean
love like this morning like this breath like this moment?

i love you con todo my heart
te amo with all my voice
te amo como my favorite song
otra vez and again y otra vez
my love for you es como un garden
growing and growing and growing
mi amor is like el mar
deep and beautiful and wild
my love is un poquito como este poema
broken in pedacitos of spanish and inglés
te amo with all mi corazón
i love you con todo my heart

when you leave my body
i will love you
i will tend the spring in your hair
make flowers
bloom
make your waves
oceans
when you leave my body
i will raise you
to the sky
let you touch the clouds
the sun
let you know what light is
when you leave my body
i will keep you in my heart instead
i will kiss your forehead
press you against my chest
i will love you.

lips find
lips find lips
find lips
hands find
hands find hands
find hands
skin finds
skin finds skin
finds skin
i find you
you find me