Writing: ‘Wandering Girl’ by Bianca Franco

This piece placed second for High School Writing submissions in the 2024 Ánimo Voices WRITING, ART, & SPOKEN WORD COMPETITION 2024, which invited students to respond to an open prompt. The competition is an opportunity to motivate, recognize, and celebrate our strong student voices through writing, spoken word, and art.

Wandering Girl

The mossy grounds of a sleeping forest gives birth to a wandering girl.
Her skin made of yucca and cotton
Her hair made of casca from elotes browned by the sun
Her eyes made with mud and specks of the stars
Her tongue carrying the dreams of those before her. The blood of her ancestors fills her veins
The sweat of her ancestors fills her tears.
Her legs strengthened from the hills and harsh rocks.
Her hands molded with care and love from those whose hands were cut and beaten.
Her mind filled with dreams of white, red, and blue. The tears and struggles of a woman fill the wandering girl.
Filled with the hopes, dreams
And desires of getting out of the forest.
Her arms like wings flying away into the limitless sky
Her heart finding peace amongst the blue, white, and red stars. As she wanders around the forest, she can feel the steps of those
Paving the way through the rough and sharp rocks and dirt.
As she wanders around, she comes across an eagle
One that promises that one day she will fly away from the sleeping forest.
As she wanders, she carries the dreams and souls of her ancestors
Locked away in her arms where she treads the path carefully to keep them safe. Through the tended grounds, sprouted the mind of the wandering girl
She was molded to be rooted and to fly
Rooted in the bountiful and laborious land
Flying from this forest
Away from the tears and cruel rocks that were engraved in the earth below her.
Away from the mossy grounds of an eversleeping forest
Somewhere her souls and loves dreamed of
Somewhere where the stars are red white and blue.
Somewhere she will no longer wander but
Stay.

 

 

Bianca Franco

11th Grade, Ánimo Leadership 

Guiding Teacher: Catherine Stine