From The Bookshelves: Somos como las nubes by Jorge Argueta

Somos como las nubes / We Are Like the Clouds is a book of poetry written by Jorge Argueta and illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. It’s about the migration of children from Central America to the United States. It’s geared towards younger readers but will be of interest to immprofs as well.

I was most moved by the poem “El barrio La Campanera,” which I’m thinking about assigning in class this Spring.

La Campanera
no tiene campanas.
Tiene pintados.

Los pintados.

Los pintados
aparecen por las noches,
los pintados
aparecen por la tarde
y por las mañanas.

Los pintados
aparence a todas horas.
Los pintados
tienen los ojos duros.

En sus brazos, caras,
pechos y espaldas
viven, como culebras,
los tatujes.
A mí me da miedo que
esas culebras me vayan a picar.

*    *    *

La Campanera
has no bells.
It has painted me and women.

The painted ones.

The painted people
come out at night,
in the afternoon,
in the morning.

The painted people
come out at all hours.
They have hard eyes.

Their arms, faces,
chests and backs
are homes
to tattoos
like snakes.
I’m afraid of those snakes.
They might bite me.

 -KitJ