A yucca tree is growing outside my window
Tucked in between two of the neighboring homes
Narrow green leaves fan out in clumps
A bird sits on top
There is a singing  a         chirp

The sun begins to travel across my room
I start to write this poem in the eve of my uncle’s passing
I write this poem for you     and     I     in mourning


Before the pandemic     we were already tired, exhausted,
                                   restless

The pressure to perform and work is felt in every zoom meeting
Can we log off

How do we un-sign from the to-do list
How do we say no  when the rent is due and
How do we say self care when even the sliding scale at the clinic is unaffordable
How do we say I’m at capacity
How do we say yes, art and culture is powerful and important but also
How do we say  artists and culture workers matter more than the art  and
How do we say community without leaving folks out
How do we say I’m human
How do we say I’m tired
How do we say let’s rest
How do we say let’s go grab a meal or
                                               let me cook you something
                                                               Or let’s build a garden

I hope to never write this sort of poem   
I’m nested inside a laptop
There is a yucca tree growing outside my window
And all I want to do is lay next to it with you
And just breath and nap

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Sonia Guiñansaca is an internationally acclaimed poet, culture organizer, and activist. They emerged as a national leader in the migrant artistic and political communities where they coordinated and participated in groundbreaking civil disobedience actions. Guiñansaca co-founded some of the largest undocumented organizations in the US, including some of the first artistic projects by and for undocumented writers and artists. They have worked for over a decade in both policy and cultural efforts building infrastructures for migrant artists across the country. Their work has taken them to London and Mexico City to advise on migrant legislation, cultural interventions, and arts programming. Guiñansaca also consults for national social justice/cultural institutions and foundations on artist convenings, culture activations, and narrative strategies. As a writer and performer, they create narrative poems and essays on migration, queerness, and nostalgia, often collaborating with filmmakers and visual artists. They self-published their debut chapbook Nostalgia and Borders (2016).

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