Guadalupe Ángela
Translated from the Spanish by Yael Kiken
———–Spare us, Lord,
———–from meeting again, years later,
———–our great loves.
———–—Cristina Peri Rossi
How will it be to see each other once again
after ten years have passed.
I’ve had a c-section,
a daughter,
a mango tree.
My brother died,
my mother,
and thorns grew in my hair.
I am no longer the young woman on the bicycle;
I live my nights indoors,
I wear glasses to read.
I played hide and seek
and no one rescued me.
Disenchanted,
I spend my days
looking for some pencil
or a note on my desk
suspended like a cloud,
and I write riddles,
sometimes my daughter answers them
by chance.
My tattoo has faded
and lost the original outline
of my solo trips.
I’ve entered the
wrong bedrooms,
I found only
lovers’ shadows.
I am no longer, Santiago,
that young woman on the bicycle
who defied the signs,
a man crashed into me
and the handlebars lost their way
and I, my faith in Sundays’ tranquility.
And still, I would like you
to give me back the sea.
Virgen de la Edad
———–Líbranos, señor,
———–de encontrarnos, años después,
———–con nuestros grandes amores.
———–—Cristina Peri Rossi
Cómo será mirarnos de nuevo
cuando han pasado 10 años.
Yo tengo una cesárea
una hija:
un árbol de mangos.
Murió mi hermano,
mi madre
y crecieron espinas en mi pelo.
Ya no soy la joven en bicicleta
vivo la noche dentro
uso lentes para deletrear.
Jugué a las escondidas
y nadie me rescató.
Desencantada
vivo a diario
buscando algún lápiz
o una nota en mi escritorio
que se suspenda como nube
y escribo acertijos,
a veces mi hija los responde
por casualidad.
Mi tatuaje se despinta
y pierde las formas originales
de mis viajes a solas.
He entrado a las habitaciones
equivocadas,
sólo encontré
la sombra de los amantes.
Ya no soy, Santiago,
aquella joven en bicicleta
que desafiaba los sentidos,
un hombre me atropelló
y el manubrio perdió el rumbo
y yo la confianza en los domingos.
Y aún así, quisiera
que me devolvieras el mar.
Guadalupe Ángela was a prolific writer and beloved teacher from Oaxaca, Mexico. She received her MA in Mexican Literature and PhD in Critical Language Studies at Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO), where she went on to work as a professor of literature and creative writing. Her work is anthologized in Zarpamos, which has been translated into Italian, German, and English. Ángela was an integral part of the robust literary community in Oaxaca, organizing frequent readings and workshops.
Yael Kiken is a professor and poetry translator who has studied literature at the University of Michigan and Georgetown University and has taught writing in a wide range of settings, including DC and Michigan correctional facilities, DCPS elementary schools, and international classrooms in Honduras and Oaxaca. She currently teaches writing at Howard University and lives in Washington, D.C.