libros de textos
Silken ebony ropes
cascade past her shoulders.
Small wisps dance in the mountain breeze
as she begins her daily journey
down the rocky path.
Second-hand sandals reveal
dust covered toes.
A vibrant textile starts its dayshift
cinched around her waist
after a full night’s work as a blanket.
Threads, intricately woven on mamá’s back strap loom,
adorn her blouse with the pattern
that has identified her village for generations.
All the same
as her mamá, her abuela, her ancestors.
All the same but her hands.
Not filled with pasty maize clapped into tortillas.
Not calloused and bloody from the hoe.
Not soothing a fussy infant in a sling.
Grasping books.
Carefully covered in craft paper,
wrapped in thick plastic and
cradled in her arms
to defy the elements.
Books that just hold words
but not just words…
A signature for her now
instead of a thumbprint.
A life of her choosing
not indentured servitude
to a wealthy family or a plantation owner
or a husband.
Context on which to base her dreams,
knowledge by which to make them reality.
A Mayan girl
in the mountains of Guatemala.
The same
as her mamá, her abuela, her ancestors.
All the same but her future.
Written by Holly End and first published in For a Better World 2013, a juried anthology of poems and visual art pertaining to peace and justice.