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Bay Poets

'Soy de Acullá' by poet María Guerrero

Maria Guerrero is a proud daughter of immigrant parents and of her Mexican raices. She is a teacher by day and unable poeta at 3am cuando las muses won't let her sleep. Born and raised in Bayview-Hunters Point, and living en la casa de sun padres, she centers her work around familia, comunidad, and healing.

Soy de acullá

Ni de aqui,

Yo no soy de aqui.

This is the third time he's asked

"Where are you from?"

I'm too brown for this güero.

Dije María

en vez, de Maria and

my last name has too many r's.

Soy demasiado para este hombre blanco.

Ni de allá,

Yo no soy de allá.

They look at me kinda funny

when English slips out of my tongue.

As if to say,

"Que chingados haces aqui?"

I'm too American for Mexicans.

There's not enough chile on my food and

I don't always get the jokes.

Soy muy poco para algunos mexicanos.

Ni de acá,

Yo no soy de acá.

I didn't get the memo

that my existence is

a transgression.

Ahora tiene sentido

porque en su diccionario

la única definición

de "queer" es extraño.

Now it makes sense

why I always felt like a stranger in

my own home.

Soy muy extraña para la gente ignorante.

Soy de acullá.

Yo soy de acullá.

I am from the sounds

of the 29-bus line

taking me from Baker Beach

to Paul and Third.

Soy de las historias

que cuentan mis padres

de su niñez en México.

I am from the laughter of

my queer friends as we find safety

in the space we created.

Soy del dulce y picoso sabor

de un mole casero, con ajonjolí tostado.

I am from the cracked concrete

sidewalks of Bayview-Hunters Point,

my first home.

Soy de los colores de la calle 24

as I make my way to la librería,

mi segundo hogar.

I am from the warm embrace of

my loved ones,

the ones who see me for who I am.

Ni muy muy, ni tan tan.

Just me, just enough.

Acullá, una indicación

poco precisa

pero real.

Soy suficiente para ese lugar.