Before all the leaves fall.
NICKNAMES -
Then they raised me on nicknames.
Mom calls me la rara: Spanish for "the weird one,"
because I was the child that took books to birthday parties,
always reading and keeping to herself.
Dad calls me brujilla: Spanish for "little witch,"
for a life-long love of black cats, big hats,
& all the Harry Potter books I begged him to buy.
Grandpa calls me la negra: Spanish for "the dark one,"
a conflicting term of endearment, rooted in a twisted,
cemented acceptance that our brown skin is inferior –
something I'm still working to unlearn.
And although this was not why my parents named me Cynthia,
in 4th grade I learned it meant "moon goddess,"
and when you're a girl that's always yearned to feel special,
you're never quite able
to forget that.
--
filed under: Sentimental Things
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