The Poetry Marathon

Lovely laughing ladies
delight lonely little lovebirds
loving under light pole.
Laughter lightens lonesome souls
and love lives long lives.

SUEÑOS

Dejé mis sueños para buscar nuevos horizontes
sin tomar en cuenta los peligros que enfrentaría.
Iba lleno de sencillas ilusiones, sueños de niño.
Cubría mis sueños con mi inocencia
sin pensar que algún día encontraría trabas
que pondrían mis sueños bajo tierra.
¿Qué sabía yo que los sueños son como hielo
que se derrite con el calor del sol?
Mis sueños se comenzaban a derretir con palabras
de bocas que emitían calor de odio.
Intenté poner un alto a esas palabras
que amenazaban destruir mis sueños.
Dreams are stronger when they’re born from need
and the desire to share once they come true.
Dream breakers may come and threaten
to destroy and bury them,
but they won’t succeed if you hold on.
Keep your eyes set on your planned horizons.
The sun’s rays will keep your dreams warm
till you’re ready to release them.
No words are stronger than the sun’s warmth;
sunsets will cool down hateful words
and turn them into words of support.
Keep your sueños alive and going!

Copyright@2016 Martina Gallegos

The zooming cars deafen the quiet silence
with their beeping horns.
The grinding metal crashing against the pavement
spoofs the crowing crows and buzzing bees
that seek refuge in the wailing weeping willows.
The chirping sparrows and hovering hummingbirds
zap away and meet with thundering clouds.
Tangled balloons pop themselves free
from the coiled string; the string snaps dead.
Leaves wrapped in balloon plastic spiral downward
and their rustling sound frightens the fluttering butterfly.
The yapping mutt growls at the tangled string
but merrily chases the butterfly senseless.
Another sonorous call from the clouds
sends shivers that send mutt and me home
wth a banging rush.

FREE VERSE:
Never knew a visit to the ortho could truly make me smile.
Every word she said was uplifting, a term of endearment.
Who can feel the pain when kindness showers your very soul.
She explains everything in minute detail
and asks how you’re doing;
not that you can respond with a mouthful of cotton and stuff;
You make good use of your ASL.
If she doesn’t understand it, she understands smiles.
A thumb-up never fails.
She shares some of her story, her challenges;
you both empathize.
She compliments my dental hygiene;
I’ve heard that one before.
It’s ironic since I grew up without a toothbrush.
She’s always checking for my well-being
and asks me to tell her if something’s not ok.
She wants to know everything.
We take a break, and she walks me to the restroom,
Lying with head lower than body dizzies me out.
She makes sure I’m safe;
Nowhere else have I’ve gotten this kind of kind treatment.
We talk a bit then finish for the day.
I thank her for doing a great job and schedule next appt.

Copyright@2016 Martina Gallegos

Inmigrante que viaja contra el viento
Que despierta y enfrenta su jornada diaria
Que suda que llora y no pierde su aliento
Luchando de mañana a noche siempre contento.

Inmigrante que viaja contra viento y marea
Que sueña y no para y que grita en silencio
Que no come hasta completar su debida tarea
Y cae rendido en pleno silencio.

Inmigrante que viaja contra el sol
Que labora de amanecer a crepúsculo
Que quiebra su espalda recogiendo col
Y que ningún elemento es un obstáculo.

Inmigrante que viaja y llega a su hogar
que llora en su almohada
porque solo ella le permite descargar
y sus lágrimas cuentan su niñez olvidada.

Inmigrante que viaja contra el mundo cruel
buscando para su familia una vida mejor
aunque nadie quiera abogar por él
sigue adelante con esperanza y amor.

Inmigrante que viaja recogiendo esperanza
sembrando metas e inculcando diligencia
que pide nada y regala todo, siempre alcanza
y cumple todo con perseverancia.

Copyright@2016 Martina Robles Gallegos

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

When I’m misunderstood? What do I do?
I keep going.
When nobody listens;
What do I do?
I keep going.
When I work my best and hardest,
and things still go wrong, what do I do?
I keep going.
When you don’t trust me
because my thinking is different from you,
what do I do?
I keep going.
When our opinions clash, what do I do?
I keep going.
When I feel like my life is falling apart,
what do I do?
I keep going.
I keep going even if I don’t want to
anymore because nothing ever changes,
but I keep, keep going!

Are like the rain
Falling from above
Giving people a
Feeling of relief.

Life is like a trip
Everlasting and filled
with sorrows and pleasantries.
You travel without grief
Till you reach your destiny;
There you linger.
Now you feel pain
And wish to go back again,
But your journey is over,
And there you stay forever.

ONOMATOPOEIA
The zooming cars deafen the quiet silence
with their beeping horns.
The grinding metal crashing against the pavement
spoofs the crowing crows and buzzing bees
that seek refuge in the wailing weeping willows.
The chirping sparrows and hovering hummingbirds
zap away and meet with thundering clouds.
Tangled balloons pop themselves free
from the coiled string; the string snaps dead.
Leaves wrapped in balloon plastic spiral downward
and their rustling sound frightens the fluttering butterfly.
The yapping mutt growls at the tangled string
but merrily chases the butterfly senseless.
Another sonorous call from the clouds
sends shivers that send mutt and me home
wth a banging rush.
Cooyright@2016 Martina Gallegos