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When I reach the portal stage of sleep
my mother's name reverberates across my body
She responds to my call
Reaches me in my sleep
Meets me
In Abuelita's patio
Mami waves from the top of the ancient mango tree
Yells
"Agarra"
I stretch my shirt till it becomes a basket
we sit and eat and only stop when our throats beg for water
We take its yellow flesh
fold and stretch into arms and legs and hair
We wave our sticky-sweet dolls across the sky
Full bellies, content hearts we play and play and play...
Vanessa Chica Ferreira (she/her) is an NYC educator, poet, playwright, fat activist/model, co-editor, and producer for RoblesWritesProductions Inc., and founder of theWORDbox. She co-wrote and performed in the play "Live Big Girl." Her work can be found in "The BX Files" Contemporary Poetry from the Bronx" Anthology, "The Abuela Stories Project" The Acentos Review and Great Weather For Media anthology.
published in Snapdragon Journal, Spring 2022
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