White, Yellow, and Brown
Different shapes, sizes, and textures
Curly, straight, and wavy
You look at your reflection and do not see it

You're brown
You’re slim, light, and skinny
Your body does not resemble what it means to be a woman in your culture

A Latina woman has curves
A Latina woman's skin glistens underneath the sun
She contains an inner glow that resembles the strength she holds.

A Latina women speaks fluent English and Spanish
The purr that rolls off her tongue when she rolls her “R’s”
Her accent is what blows men away
Her accent is seen as exotic and from another world
But yours is different

You look at your reflection and do not see it
There is no purr because you can't roll the “R’s” off your tongue
Your slight accent is what worries you
Afraid your accent is going to get you a stare instead of a wink.
Afraid to speak you stay quiet and become discrete

You look at your reflection and see
brown sugar that’s sweet and fine
Your skin contains different specks of color which makes you different
The sun captures the qualities that you contain within.

You look at your reflection and see
A woman that speaks the language of romance
The language that distinguishes you from the crowd
The language that brings you strength and courage
The accent you once feared would bring you shame is the same one you have come to love.

You look at your reflection and see
A woman that has grown internally to love herself for the way she is
you contain the inner glow that resembles the strength and knowledge you have attained.

The eclipse has finally passed the sun and your  time to shine has arrived.

White, Yellow, and Brown
Different shapes, sizes, and textures
Curly, straight, and wavy
You look at your reflection and see
A Latina woman.

It is already sunrise and
it’s time to say goodbye
for I do not want to be
mistaken for the moon,
living under the spotlight
of her beloved sun.

Two lovers
Chasing each other in circles
Able to meet
At a nonexistent corner

Those hazel eyes flashed against mine,
it was a blink of an eye,
felt for the first time.

Can't hold your hand,
nor kiss your lips,
my whole world turns around our eclipse.

A silhouette love,
it's just me and you.
You are my little secret,
a secret rendezvous.

para sa'king sol,

ang nagsisilibing araw sa buhay ko,
para sa'yo itong tula,
hindi ko na papahabain pa
alam kong hindi tayo puwedeng magsabay
kaya't sa'ting paglayo sa isa't isa,
sana'y masaya ka,
at sa kabilang dulo ng mundo,
susubukan ko ring maging masaya
sa alaalang minsan tayong nagtagpo,
pero hindi talaga itinadhana

patuloy na nagmamahal,
luna

You were the sun this cold heart is longing. You told me I became the moon who lights up even your darkest and gloomiest night.

first glance
beast out of the darkness
frozen in time
majestic seahorse
carrying Aphrodite
grace rising effortlessly
abysses grip released with ease
wielding her magic over moon goddess
while she imagines the first eclipse
illuminated ring circling
shades of darkness
dominating the sky
goddess Selene rests her motion
etching love in eyes
through lasting heartbeats
reflecting the rings
true brilliance
setting the sky on fire
being
one in the sameness

Calibrated versions of
my reflections, I shatter with
                          fists of  petulance.
                  


And
       still they never seem to shatter.

No where do I see a shard cutting upon




                                                 my wrists...


But bluntly do the words overwhelm
                every vocalization that is pummelled
                                  with every suppressed
                                                                ­        motif..

That never stood a chance of being more than just
                                                  a paper Mache
                                                                ­        eclipse.

Never truly covering anything just  falling apart
                before the form that
                                          was solid like imagination.

         Instead falling apart like yesterdays fake news.

                                         Never reading deeper
          
                                                     ­ than the surface,
only being more like a comedy page
                                                           that no one finds funny.