My Mom and Dad
My mother and father speak many languages.
They speak in labor every day.
A language of aches and exhaustion.
A language that leaves and returns.
Leaves and returns.
Mom works hard.
She is a tender woman,
Made in El Salvador.
El Salvador bends her knees all day.
El Salvador cleans.
El Salvador sweats while scrubbing floors.
El Salvador comes home with blue veins on her hands.
El Salvador nurtures us.
El Salvador falls asleep while watching
Her favorite TV shows.
Dad works hard.
He is a man charred by the sun,
Made in Mexico.
Mexico builds houses for people in the United States.
Mexico is awake at four in the morning.
Mexico lifts lumber.
Mexico pours cement.
Mexico wilts in the sun all day.
Mexico comes home, eats a meal, lays in bed,
And falls asleep.
Mom and dad ache every day.
Mom and dad are exhausted every year.
They leave and return with
Four legs made of stone.
They leave and return with
Twenty twisted fingers.
They leave, and I count my blessings.
They leave, and I pray for their return.
Constantly praying
For their return.
Vilma Ronzon (she/her/hers) is from Echo Park, California. Her poetry honors her unique life experiences and adventures. Vilma is also an artist who enjoys exploring different mediums and styles of art. Some of her hobbies include, reading, cooking, playing video games, laughing at memes, and spending time with her family. Vilma is a firm believer that poetry can be a vehicle for growth and change for our personal lives and for greater global revolution. There is truth in poetry, and there is poetry in all of us.
IG account @croiizzant