Poesía: Curls

By Manoela Torres

She loved the beautiful jungle of loops she carried in her head
She loved how they wrapped around her fingers;
How they couldn’t and wouldn’t be tamed

She loved how stubborn they were:
whenever someone tried to undo them,
they would jump right up and become as lively as ever

 

She used to love her curls
until she was told her hair should be straight
She wanted to fit into the dull white world
So she changed herself

Their straightener transformed her life spirals into
Dead strips of unremarkable strands

About the writer:

Manoela Torres is a Brazilian writer majoring in Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing and minoring in Art history at Barnard College. She has already worked as a translator for renowned Nobel-award nominee author Carlos Near as well as a blog and article writer for Alouet Consulting and Theideamixradio.

Manoela posts her writing on her Instagram profile @thestreetpoetess and on her website www.badphilosophies.com and is currently working on her first poetry book, “The Moon And her Letters” with Brazilian artist Zamba.

Artwork by: Ketaki Krishnan, follow her on Instagram at @_prussian.blue_

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Author

  • Anna Martinez

    My name is Anna Martinez. I am New Mexico born and raised, however, my family is from Chihuahua Mexico. I am a recent graduate of St. Edwards University where I majored in Global Studies and Writing and Rhetoric. I enjoy writing about powerful Latina role models and I enjoy expanding on my learning through Latinitas. I think that by having powerful Latina role models we can change many of the narratives within our community, unite as women, and find power within ourselves. My hope is that my writing inspires young Latinas and incites change within our Latino communities.

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