Final Discussion: Plantains and Our Becoming
undarrundeiro
Este corazón tiene tu manigueta
Ya tu me lo cogite' de raqueta
Este corazón hace ping pong pong
Ta pegao' del fondo como concon
Con ete' cojete, con ete' co...
Te conoco yo como king kong
Cantinfla de corazón
Sanzón, sanzón
El blue del ping pong, Rita Indiana y Los Misterios
Schedule
Kick-off:February 2, 2023Midway Check In:February 12, 2023Final Discussion:🌞 Last minute RSVP hereDidn’t finish? Who cares? Come hang out anyway.
Remember you can always use the comment section to leave your thoughts, reviews, and reflections at any time.
Gardens 🪴
I’ve been thinking a lot about home as I read through Plantains and Our Becoming. The one notable exception to complex feelings about Puerto Rico is definitely my grandmother's garden. If there’s one place that I feel completely at home it’s there. Marte’s “Abuelita's Garden” transported me there at a time when I needed it the most. It’s been a hectic time despite me currently being off for a week — friends in crisis, partners in recovery, news of degenerative conditions in beloved family members. February has been a test. Plantains has been a comfort.
Early on in the collection I knew this would be my favorite. Every poem in this book is so powerful, but I found myself coming back to this one— like coming back to my grandma’s house and stepping into her backyard.
“Dios te me bendiga, mi negra bella, mi poeta, mi semilla, mi bendecida. Her blessings are a garden of endless love. They tell me live, live because you sprung from me. Live because I dare you to. Live and thrive. Thrive because the birds, the flowers, the reptiles, we all want to witness your glory. Abuelita's garden is my favorite reminder that you don't need to be one specific kind of magical to bloom.”
I close my eyes after reading this poem and I'm back there. She’s waiting for me, waiting to show me her newest batch of mangoes, ready to show the newest orchid blooming, eager to tell me all of the gossip she’s compiled from the neighborhood, and always ready to hug me and kiss me and call me her Kristi Love. There’s nowhere I’d rather be right now. I’ll be back there this summer to see her and my grandfather and we'll eat mangoes together at least one more time.
🌞
Final Thoughts
Overall, how strong was the collection for you?
Now that you’re done reading, how did the book make you feel?
What was your favorite poem? What about it made it your favorite?
Were there any poems that deeply resonated with you or that challenged your preconceptions?
Share your thoughts in the comments or reply to this email. I’ll see you in the next one! ♥
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