A los 12 años
Was when I did notice
Como todo cambió
My body began to open
like a lotus
Mami bought me a bra
My hips got rounder
And ass got bigger
Pero también era un tiempo
Que con muñecas
yo jugaba
Every Saturday morning
With red war paint
On her full bembas
to Dyckman
Mami would take me
The air filled
with a faint smell
of cheap rum
That would engulf us
on our journey
Along the path
The sour stench
Of sleepless
and lustful men
Out of bodegas they’d spill
With a budweiser in hand
Chasing us down
the block
As they slurred
que Dios te bendiga
And their lips sloppily smacked
Muah muah muah
Mami ven aca
Tu si esta buena
Their hankering glassy eyes
Coveting Mami and me
As if we were a piece
of luscious meat
Ready they were
to devour us
That walk was no easy feat
At first they tried to entice us
Calling us
dique “terms of endearment”
Bebe
Mami
Chula
When we didn’t flicker
And our eyes ignored
they gave a nudge
All in unison
Like soldiers ready
To go in for the kill
Eyes became enraged
Pss Pss Pss Pss
Oye mami vendemela
Chata
Pribona
Chapiadora
Bodies cocked
Voices filled with violencia
Cuero
Perra
Sucia
Mami would hold my hand tight
And say sigue caminando
Bolden your look
Como si no e contigo
Mami tightened her grip
And dashed through the mob
As if going through an obstacle course
filled with a pack of hyenas
ready to devour us
Where I come from
Women are powerful
We aren’t afraid
To stare men in the face
And let them know
Our spirits will never be submissive
Nor are we permissive
To your directives
We are
Givers
Warriors
Powerful
Inteligente
To my daughter I have passed
The courage to fight
And our language of strength is vast
Marilyn Ramirez 