Celestial Bodies
—after “Thirteen Women in the Volcanic Eruption” by Judith Baca, 2021
las mujeres unidas jamás serán vencidas
We are sky.
Thirteen strong, we are the day, the night.
Thirteen women. Eyes fixed high,
we follow sky sister, heed
her warnings, her changing moods.
We are heart.
Sister heart breathes, guides,
teaches. Blood sacrifice is red, real.
We pulse forever.
We are volcano’s daughters.
Our long hair ascends to wrap volcano’s mound,
envelop her black lava, caress her fury.
We stand on her river of satin, weave ribbons of color.
We are river. Our womb bleeds red, blue, golden yellow.
We are life.
Our hands open to birth, make ready for labor.
Hands form a triangle, lotus of renewal.
One hand swears truth on one brown breast.
Another pulses, senses spirit, reads the omens.
One hand forms a fist, protests, protects.
Hands welcome, hands heal, hands teach.
We are tree trunk legs. With them we walk to destiny.
Throats in arrow shape find new words for our mouths.
Lips reflect passion, light from sister sun.
Our faces upturned, thirteen suns shine in the firmament.
Breasts hang fertile, blossoms ready.
Our pelvis, in volcanic darkness, promises new life.
We are thirteen Heart Sisters.
Tlaztolteotl, goddess sister of love,
holds heart as our guide.
With love in hand, thirteen sisters explode together,
on the altar of Madre Tierra,
we give light to the world
we birth hope.
Cuerpos Celestiales
–-inspirado en “Thirteen Women in the Volcanic Eruption” por Judith Baca, 2021
las mujeres unidas jamás serán vencidas
Somos cielo.
Trece hermanas fuertes, somos día, somos noche.
Trece. Los ojos fijos en lo alto,
seguimos a la hermana cielo, escuchamos
sus presagios, sus cambios.
Somos corazón.
La hermana corazón respira, guia,
enseña. El sacrificio de sangre es rojo, real.
Pulsamos para siempre.
Somos hijas del volcán.
Nuestro pelo largo asciende a envolver el monte del volcán,
a enredarla en lava negra, a acariciar su furia.
Nos paramos en su río de raso, tejemos cintas de color.
Somos río. Nuestro matriz sangra rojo, azul, dorado.
Somos vida.
Abrimos las manos al parto, nos alistamos para trabajar.
Las manos forman un triángulo, el loto renovador.
Una mano jura la verdad sobre un seno moreno.
Otra vibra, siente el espíritu, lee los augurios.
Una mano hace puño, protesta, protege.
Las manos dan la bienvenida, las manos curan, las manos enseñan.
Somos piernas como troncos de árbol. Con ellas caminamos al destino.
La gargantas en forma de flecha encuentran nuevas palabras paranuetras
bocas.
Los labios reflejan la pasión, la luz de la hermana sol.
Las caras arriba, trece soles brillamos en el firmamento.
Los senos cuelgan fértiles, florecitas dispuestas.
Nuestro pelvis, en oscuridad volcánica, promete nueva vida.
Somos trece Hermanas del corazón.
Tlaztolteotl, diosa hermana del amor, extiende el corazón.
Con ella de guía, explotamos juntas,
mientras, con amor en las manos, en el altar de Madre Tierra,
damos a luz a la esperanza.
Devotion to the arts has characterized Maura Harvey’s life. She learned Spanish in her teens as an exchange student in Mexico City. After she obtained a Ph. D. in Latin American literature, she became a teacher of Spanish and published poetry in Spanish in Venezuela: POEMAS appeared in 1993. Her poetry in both Spanish and English has appeared widely in anthologies and journals (especially in California Quarterly and the San Diego Poetry Annual) and she has served on the Editorial Board of California State Poetry Society since 1999. She was a founding member of Taller del mar, a monthly poetry workshop with members from Tijuana and San Diego and has presented solo and group poetry recitals and readings in Tijuana and Tecate, México, San Diego, San Rafael, and Sausalito. She currently lives in Victoria, BC, Canada and San Rafael, California.
