by
Mateo Bernal
Majestic mountains
Toes in lodo
Bare feet
Bare feet in mud
Families on side of roads
Skinny dogs
Colorful clothing
Small men carrying big bags of coffee
Long hair with beautiful ribbons
Skinny animals
Sweat from hard work
Mothers nursing
Cows grazing
Cornfields at 75 degree angles
Stars when electricity went out
Copal incense
Beggars in the city
Dirt floors, empty rooms
Solidarious
intellectuals
Truckloads of Mexican military men
Impressive religious rituals
Mounds of tortillas
Communal cooking
Smokey kitchens
Small patios
Two men in Oventik, bandanas
and ski masks in the fog
Children waving in doorways
Distended abdomens
Smiles
Bishop Ruiz and his entourage
Gang of good-hearted gringos, struggling through the
mud
Marimba music all night long
Roosters
That guy singing
Shoes going “schloop”
Crazy laughter (of the CIRSA guys)
mas cerca!
Metal on cobblestones from gas trucks
Labored breathing
Hand through green pergamino
coffee beans
Fireworks
Doggies when they got kicked
TIK!
Babble of voices during mass
Flat church bells at
Rough hewn call to prayer
Mosquitos
Honking horns
Birds
Baby chicks “piu, piu, piu!”
Sound of throwing up
Saying no to young children street vendors
Sun on our skin
Rain on our skin
Being out of breath
Motion of swinging in the van
Feeling people’s stories
Continual handshakes
those
gentle handshakes
clay
humble
dancing
to music, watching feet
anger
respect
and admiration
hope,
hearing about la sexta
Sad to hear about the brother migrating to the
Scared
Confusion
Squeamishness
Educated
Breadth of hospitality
Frustrated at not being able to communicate
Inspirational
Community, one that is lacking in our world
Ashamed
Self-conscious