From childhood through adolescence,
I struggled with academics daily.
In elementary school, I remember
wanting to learn but not knowing how.
In high school, I wanted to engage
in literary, rational discussions,
but I didn’t know how;
nobody had ever taught me how.
I had no skills and knew no strategies.
I learned those terms while teaching.
In college, I’d stay quiet to prevent
humiliation by teachers and students.
I wasn’t happy being a silent student;
I’d always been rather outspoken.
I chose to speak and speak against
injustices I saw around me everyday.
The worst injustices happened during
my teaching career, on site.
Eventually these injustices at work
and neighborhood led to a massive stroke.
The stroke caused brain damage,
but in my tradition as a fighter,
I survived the stroke and soon
went back to graduate school to resume
and complete a Master’s degree.
I also started publishing my writing.
I realized that if I could go back to school
and succeed, although not easy, after a stroke,
it meant I’d always been pretty smart;
I just didn’t realize it, and nobody had told me either.
I also learned some high school classmates
saw me as the ‘smart’ one.
Now I know for sure I’m smart, but I wonder
how much more I’d have accomplished
had I known since childhood how smart
I have always been.

Copyright@2016 Martina Gallegos