Ancestors
There, in the forest of quetzales, voices murmur,
the ancestors’ song is whispered in thunder,
and fire’s tongue coats the world.
As the sun dies, our Sacred Mother is born,
the grandmothers beg for quiet.
Gathering for the dance of the forest,
they are guardians of ritual.
Our grandmothers are calling, making requests
for those who have been silenced—
the invisible, dead, raped and burnt in secret.
The women fill the air with incense.
Trees bow, a stream surges,
and all their powers unite.
Ichtyeja’
Let me dive into your murky green,
water slapping your rocks.
Let me enter with slow steps, numb,
mouth mute, as I sink into your depth.
Let me lose myself among the puyil,
my throat wet with breath.
Fill my fragile body with wind,
and I will drift through filth.
Ichtyeja’ - a river in Tumbalá, Mexico
puyil - a type of snail found in Chiapas
Freshwater Spring
In the evening, I tear at silence
with a steady voice. I shout—
I am a woman!
Freshwater spring, source of my existence.
I Refuse
No longer ornament for your silence,
my smile will not get you off.
I will not be silent
in the violence of your mornings.
I hide myself and will not help you
to hurt my body.
I will be the moon’s path,
where the wind reveals the day.
Distance
This air deepens, drumming the soul of unseen things.
My days call out like the cricket’s song.
Evidence
You will not be able to hide what’s left—
promises drowned by rivers,
the untold kept underground.
Their music remains in the mountains,
in the wäy disguised as Jaguar, Gray Fox, Snake.
You will not forget,
but remembering will suffocate you.
Dreaming Undocumented
You are learning to walk on time’s path
while swallows watch from the caves.
Secretly, you enter the mouth of another land,
fog blanketing a naked earth.
Chuchu’bälob
Ya’ tyi ch’ujulbä we’tye’ icha’añ ñukbä matye’el icha’añ k’uk’wits
käñlaw ity’añob yik’oty wälwälñayob mi yälob jiñi ch’ujul k’ay tyi ty’añ mamäl,
iyak’ k’ajk mi iletsel tyi pañumil che’ bajche’ uts’atybä k’ay.
Che’ mi ichämel jiñi k’iñ, che’ mi yilañ pañumil jiñ lakch’ujuña’,
jiñi chuchu’bälob mi ik’ajtyiñob ñäch’tyälel,
jiñjach ijäjäk’ayob mi ikomob ibäj isoñil matye’el
yik’oty iyumob cha’añ oño’ch’ujutyesayaj.
Jiñi chuchu’bälob muk’ob tyi pay, woliyob tyi wokol ty’añ, mi imelob k’ajtyiyaj,
icha’añ jiñi machbä muk’ik iyäjk’elob tyi ty’añ,
icha’añob machbä tsikilobik tsäñsäbilobä tyik’läbilobä yik’oty mukul pulemobä.
Woli iletsañob jiñi pom, woli ibuts’iñob ch’ujulbä ajñibäl
jiñi ik’ woli iñumel, jiñi ja’ yolyolña woli iñumel,
che’ jiñi pejtyelel p’ätyälel mi ikomob ibäj tyi jump’ej ch’ujlel.
Ichtyeja’
Ichtyeja’,
ak’eñon ktyop’ jiñi yäxty’ulañbä awa’lel,
jiñi tyuñuja’ ty’uñlawbä ya’ tyi awa’al,
ak’ä tyi ochel k’uñtye’bä kok, tsäñäwujulbä kwuty,
yik’oty ili ktyi’ x-uma’bä cha’añ mi isul ibäj tyi añäk’.
Ak’äyoñ tyi sajtylel tyi apuyil,
ak’ä kbik’ cha’añ mi isul ibäj tyi ajap ik’,
ak’ä ili k’uñlikañbä kbäk’tyal mi ibujty’el tyi awik’il
cha’añ che’ jiñi kmejlel tyi xämbal tyi tsuklel.
Yäxty’ulañbä iya’lel kajñibal
Tyi tsuwañbä ik’ajel, mi ityuk’ iñäch’tyälel,
Jiñäch k’uñtye’ mi ksub:
x’ixikoñäch,
woli ktyaj yäxty’ulañbä iya’lel kajñibal tyi pañumil.
Mi kmuk
Mi kmuk kbäj, cha’añ mach komix ichäñ ch’äliboñ añäch’tyälel,
cha’añ mach komix ichäñ tse’ekñäyeloñ atyikwälel,
mach komix chäñ ñäch’äl cha’añ joñtyolbäl asäk’ajel,
mi kmuk kbäj cha’añ mach komix kchäñ koltyañety cha’añ mi ayäx-esañ kbäk’tyal,
kom wäle cha’añ ibijleloñ ak’lel ya’ baki jiñi ik’ mi iñumel tyi päsibal k’iñ
Ñajtylel
Jiñi ik’ jiñäch mi ityam-esañ ityip’tyip’ñäyel ich’ujlel lotyolbä,
ik’ay jiñi sajk’ jiñäch ty’äñty’äñäyel ili tyambä jk’iñil.
Ña’tyayaj
Ma’añik mi ikajel imejlel alaj muk pejtyelel iyejtyal oño’ xämbal,
p’ujp’ubil jiñi ty’añ ya’ tyi pa’tyak,
mukbil jiñi lotybilbä ty’añ tyi lum,
käylem ikäñlawlel k’ay ya’ tyi ichañlel matye’el
ya’ baki mosol ich’ujlel oño’ wäyob,
ma’añik mi ikajel iñajäyel acha’añ iwelwelñäyel ak’ajtyesaj,
jiñi ak’ajtyesaj mi ikajel imil awik’.
Ik’pukambä ñajal
Joñoñ juñtyikil machbä añik ijuñ wolibä iñop iñusañ yajñib tyamlel,
xwilistyak mi ik’eloñ tyi majlel kome yujil cha’añ
muk’jach ikajel kmuku ñumel ya’ tyi ityi’ yambä lum che’bä bajche’
ik’pukambä ñajal muk’bä imuk kälel jiñi pits’ilbä lum.