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Sabado Afternoon with Elena
you know the caldo is good when mami makes it in 90 degree heat,
kitchen burning up like an overused lightbulb,
cutting board melting completely off the counter,
the scene looking straight out of a salvador dali painting
by the stove is mami-
the same mujer that doesn’t cough when heating up her chiles-
looking serene and languidly stirring with her ladle
i wish she knew how pretty she is
with her unruly curls escaping the grasp of her bun
with her freckles on the left part of her upper lip
with her stretch marks slyly poking out of her shorts
with her eyes that have seen lifetimes before mine,
mami is the most beautiful woman i’ve ever seen
i take a sinisterly scalding spoonful to my lips,
steam fogging my glasses so i can’t see
yet i see her, completely, wholly
i see every pain,
every sacrifice,
every gray hair,
every burden my mami has carried on her calloused hands
and my tastebuds soar,
each bite better than the next,
wiping off la grasa from my chin
you know the caldo is good when mami makes it
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I came up with this piece simply because I was admiring my mother one morning from the kitchen table, watching her make dinner. I personally loved the idea of creating this sort of ode to her, highlighting her own percieved "flaws" that she sees within herself. She has a difficult time loving herself, especially her appearance, and this is my way of saying that she's always been perfect to me.
I also wanted to showcase a small nod to my Mexican heritage, as it surrounds me and in a way, encompasses every aspect of my daily life.
This is an ode. A love poem of sorts to my culture, my childhood, but most importantly: to my Mami.