Writing: ‘Antes De Tu Y Yo’ by Yesenia Zamora

This piece placed first for high school writing submissions in the Ánimo Voices Writing and Art Competition, which invited students to consider a change they’d like to see in their community or the world and to convince an audience, through any genre of writing or visual medium, of the importance of this change. The competition was an opportunity to motivate, recognize, and celebrate our strong student voices through writing and art.

By Yesenia Zamora
Ánimo South Los Angeles Charter High School

Antes De Tu Y Yo 

¡Julia De Burgos! ilumíname con tus poesías Enséñame la realidad del mundo en cual
yo miro, Deja que mi alma se pierda en tus poemas, para entender la realidad en la
que yo vivo  Dime qué fue antes de tu y yo, Llena de conocimiento a todos de
el paso colonial de Puerto Rico, Llena de conocimiento a todos
de el maltrato de la mujer  ¡Julia De Burgos! Diles que estás con ellas
con tus versos Exige cambio con tus
talentos La sociedad está en peligro y tu lo
escribes, escribes libremente para hacerlos
que miren, Años pasan… muchos todavía no
entienden la raíz de tu ser  ¡Julia De Burgos! Reina de muchos Rompió
cadenas haciendo de sus sueños… Llenando de
conocimiento a todos con sus versos No fueron
escuchados hasta que estuvieras muerta, la
leyenda murió y al fin se dieron cuenta, que tus
versos y poemas causarían guerra. 

—

¡Julia De Burgos! Enlighten me with your
poems, teach me the true colors of the world I
see let my soul get lost in your poems, To truly
understand the reality that I perceive  Tell me what it was like before me and you, Fill them with knowledge about
Puerto Rico’s colonial past Fill them with knowledge about the abuse of
women that for years would last, An abuse that would be cast aside and
claimed untrue  ¡Julia De Burgos! Society is in danger and you know it, you let them know you’re with them
and through your poetry you show it, You demand change through your talent Writing freely
you make them understand why your rampant years have passed, and many still don’t
understand it  ¡Julia De Burgos! Queen of many, Broke
chains making her dream be seen,
through eyes of plenty
Trying to fill people with knowledge through her poems, When alive, her poems, they came
not to know them, The legend died and many come to find her poems and verses would
enlighten many minds.