I've been wanting to share this with you for a while now, and I finally have the time to do it! Meet brilliant poet Faith Gomez, whom I had the joy of meeting in person on my trip to Northern California this spring. We'd started corresponding about a year earlier, back when she was in fifth grade-- I was really impressed with her creative writing. And I was completely thrilled when she came to my writing workshop at her local library!
Faith has a lot in common with Zitlally, the main character in my book STAR IN THE FOREST. A fun thing: she also loves dogs. A sad thing: her father was also deported to Mexico, which has been heart-breaking for her and her family.
With the guidance of her talented creative writing teacher and librarian, author Lea Aschkenas , Faith wrote this deeply moving poem about her family's experience. The prompt for her poem was a photo of her family, back when they were able to be together.
Cuernevaca, Mexico
Here I am in the photo, pigtails
tied with mini silk pom-poms,
left hand on chin,
shoes like pink roses,
my dress with a big bow
tied as if I were a present.
My brother, Jacob,
wearing his first fancy pants.
Behind him,
my mother in her white dress
on her wedding day,
her smile as big as an upside-down rainbow,
full of color and joy.
Next to her is my dad,
the two of them like turtle doves.
Three years later,
I imagine him
still as a marble statue,
still in Mexico, waiting
for permission to return,
waiting alone
without us
like an abandoned house.
~ by Faith Gomez (last year in 5th grade)
That brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. My heart goes out to Faith and her family.... yet the hopeful thing about her situation is that she has a strong and beautiful voice that expresses her family's experience in an incredibly powerful way. Young voices like hers have already sparked some positive political change for immigrant families, and are hopefully paving the way for even more, soon.
Gracias, Faith! Keep writing!
xo,
Laura
