Tales and the World We Live in_09-02-2019

This first literary contest Tales and the World We Live in involved of

a tremendous amount of energy and effort with the objective of igniting
the fire of writing in teacher trainees and ESPIN alumni. The team who
worked on this first version would like to thank all the people who
believed in this project and the ones who actively participated in it. We
truly expect to continue with this initiative throughout the coming
years, to make the local community of writers grow more and more.
Therefore, you, readers are all invited to participate next year, sharing
your untold stories…

2018 team: Alejandro Ramos, Elizabeth Loyola and Bruno Ramírez

Tales and the World We Live in

I. Quotes

II. Tales

a. Astronomy by José Reyes
b. Yellow walls by Elizabeth Vergara
c. The friend request by Lucas Cañete
d. The therapy session by Lucas Cañete
e. The gift by Elizabeth Torres R.
f. Izzie the turtle and her feelings by Daniela Gajardo
g. Hunting season night by José Aguilera Gracia

III. Poems

a. When Spring comes by Victoria Tapia
b. Words by Francisca Pérez Gómez
c. Under the water by Alice
d. Sometimes by Naroa Raymond
e. Resistance by Queen D
f. Sometimes by Francisca Pérez Gómez

IV. Final words

Quotes

“Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of
his mind, is written large in his works.”
— Virginia Woolf

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou

“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your
own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense
obsessions mercilessly.”
— Franz Kafka

"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
--Benjamin Franklin

"Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see
how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies
the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If
it's not, throw it out of the window."
--William Faulkner

"Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences."
--Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

ASTRONOMY

Someone patted my shoulder.

I jolted and I turned around to meet a dark-brown-eyed, twenty-two-year-old fair-
skinned guy. Dep smirked and gave me a brief handshake. “We should hurry” he
suggested. Stellar Astrophysics began in about 2 minutes and the room was
located on the other side of campus.

I took off running since according to our attendance record we could not afford to
miss another lesson. As I sprinted past the library building’s glassed façade I saw
the reflection of my slender friend following suit. His bag hit his back repeatedly as
he dashed at full speed. His emotionless eyes did not show the exhaustion that
meant running across campus. We collected ourselves outside the room. I panted
with my hands on my knees. Dep pushed the door open and stormed in. Our
classmates did not even fling. They were used to our chronic tardiness. Mr.
Quezada rolled his eyes as he shuffled through documents. He dimmed the lights
of the room to display a tiny part of the universe. The beigeish white colour of the
cosmos – as once taught by Mr. Quezada – filled the dark room. Our professor
clicked a button on his remote control and the oneiric sound of a galaxy silenced
the room. A celestial body was projected in the ceiling.

Mr. Quezada cleared his throat – “As I was saying last class, this dwarf star was
once a mammoth star. Not nearly as big as Sirius but still, it used to be tremendous”

– he paused and scanned the room – “Is there anyone who can briefly explain this
phenomenon?” The eerie sound that followed the question was interrupted by a guy
who was just as detached-looking as Dep. “There are faint traces of light blue, and

evident hints of yellow and red. This means that the star has aged. We are
probably faced with a star that might have run out of hydrogen…” – Reshen
stopped talking abruptly and lowered his head. It was a common trait of him. Our
lecturer nodded and continued - “Correct. We are faced with a star that has
collapsed into almost unfathomable density due to its lack of fuel. The red
accompanying this celestial body means it will swell until it becomes a
supergiant. Now, look”. The dwarf star grew until it filled most of the ceiling.
Vibrants shades of red flamed from its body attracting several stellar elements to
it. I looked at Dep. His vacant stare had changed to a mesmerizing one. “Before
the ultimate supernova explosion, this star will try to survive by consuming other
celestial bodies: planets, asteroids, satellites. Anything that can fuel it.”

We witnessed how hundreds of planets were obliterated by the star. Eventually,
it grew into a supernova which outshone all the other celestial elements. The
explosion grew darker until a tiny particle was the only light in the room. “After all
the destruction we are left with this small particle which can be just as
devastating as the supernovas: either a neutron star or a black hole. However, it
is fascinating how all of this stardust – Mr. Quezada paused – can now create
new celestial objects.” He pressed another button to fast forward the

presentation. All the stardust left after the flared-up star became new galactic
life.
The lesson went on for another seventy minutes. Dep took a lot of notes. He had
this journal-like copybook whose pages were scarlet. He jotted down with white
ink. “It feels as though my notes were some kind of post-supernova
constellation” he would say. Reshen spent most of the class head down.
However, I noticed that he was looking at Dep on the sly. Dep was his best
acquaintance – so to say. Reshen barely talked to people unless he was forced
to.

Dep and I strolled down the same way we came to get some coffee. He looked
more absent-minded than usual. My friend barely spoke during the rest of the
day. “Hey, Dep. Is there anything wrong with you? – I questioned. His sight was
fixed on the crimson of dusk “I just like this part of the day. When the stars
appear I think of the day I just had. It means you were given a chance to
experience it all. And I love-d what I’ve done”. I am certain he said loved instead
love. I just nodded and stared at the sunset.

Something must have happened after that day. Dep did not turn up to classes
the next day. Nor the next weeks after. Days went by slowly. His family and the
police roamed campus every day. I was interviewed twice. The ambient seemed

heavy. Reshen devoted himself to scribble on his notebook and did not bother to
look at his classmates during our lessons. He was just as absent as Dep.

After 6 weeks I was invited by his family to a wasteland. The police had found
something. We walked through dirt and debris until I saw a naked forearm stand
out from the waste. The body was decomposed. The smell of rotten flesh plus
the
alkaline odour of dried blood pierced our noses. By the body, lay his notebook
and his pen. People were screaming, sobbing and someone fainted, apparently.
I hurried forward and I grabbed his copybook. I flipped through the pages. There
was a brief note at the end of each day. September 15th was the last entry:
“Today I sprinted to class. I decided I have become too swollen. I do not want to
consume lives as supernovas do. I like the colour of dusk”.

An empty bottle of pills was found next to the body. Dep’s explosion was so
strong it took our lives into a black hole of utter gloom.

As I walked away from the graveyard I realized that we are just a constellation
of experiences. The cemetery blurred through my teary eyes.
Someone patted my shoulder.

I met Reshen’s swollen eyes as he waited for me to embrace him.

Yellow Walls

By Elizabeth Vergara Vergara

It was their eighteen birthday and their special day was not supposed to be like
that. The twins had woken up earlier that day since they had planned many things
to celebrate their happy day. During the afternoon, they took a walk together to
remember their cheerful memories. When the girls turned around the corner, they
saw a big wooden door that was nearly open. The twins pushed the door as hard
as they could until they went inside. Nevertheless, their surprise was big enough to
startle them for a few seconds.

The place was so full of flowers that they could not breathe without feeling the
scent of a hundred different aromas. When the eighteen-year-old girls could move
again, they realized they were not in an ordinary place. The garden was
surrounded by four big yellow walls. Additionally, there were different varieties of
flowers with the most vivid colors they could ever imagine. Since the flowers were
as tall as a person and, as they were so close to one another, it was difficult to
notice how far the twins were from the yellow borders.

Nevertheless, as the girls got to know more about this place, strange things started
to happen. As they were wandering around, the young ladies realized that they
were not alone. The twins came across three old women that guarded the place.
The women were really upset since nobody had even dared to set foot on its
territory before. So they decided to hunt the eighteen-year-old twins without making

any sound. The old ladies were always quiet so as not to disturb their flowers.
Therefore, the intrusion of the girls was a huge problem for them.

Once the twins realized they were being followed, the girls decided to escape to the
upper floor. However, once the young ladies got there, they saw more flowers. To
their surprise, the old and terrifying women were faster than they had thought so the
girls continued going upstairs so as not to get caught by the guardians of the place.

As the girls continued running, they started to find people on the upper floors. Most
of them were calmly talking to each other while some others were contemplating the
flowers. As the twins covered the rest of the floors, the number of flowers
decreased and the number of people increased. Nonetheless, little by little some
people became aware of the disturbance and after a few seconds, they turned into
flowers.

After a long time running non-stop, the twins realized that once they got to a new
floor, another one was added instantly. Besides, more and more people turned
into flowers because of the hunting. When the realization hit them, the girls
started to freak out. The more they got up, the more they lost hope.

In the end, they couldn’t escape from that place. They were trapped in their own
destiny.

The Friend Request:

Should I send him a friend request on Facebook? Should I not? Should I just
type a message on his Facebook inbox? If I do it, What should I say?

These were the questions that had tortured Jimmy during three years when he
found out about this person’s existence, he used to check his profile every
morning after waking up and every night before sleeping, but he was not able to
press the button “send friend request”. There was always something that
stopped him to act out; he could not ask help from anybody, no one could
understand him because not many people had been in this situation. Besides,
he had never seen this guy during his life and that made him not to dare to take
the step. This was not about shyness issues, he was a very extrovert man. For
instance, he was known as “the confessor” who gave advices and dedicated
songs for every dirty story every afternoon in “The confessional” a popular
program in a famous radio in Talca.

In “The confessional”, Jimmy always acted charismatic and funny giving
assertive advices to people who even had the most unbelievable and
complicated stories. Nevertheless, at his cold and empty home he kept checking
this person’s profile every morning and every night feeling helpless and
disoriented, and every night in the last two months, he could not avoid crying
looking for a comfort that he knew, it would never come. His mother had died
one year ago, and the last time he had spoken with his father the mayor of the

city Aparicio Blas, Jimmy could not say any word at all, his father did not allow
him to speak. Anyway, it had always been in this way, Aparicio Blas, always
talked rapidly and intensively about his attempts to become the mayor of the
city, about campaigns and public policies to help the poorest ones of the city.
Whereas, Jimmy could not finish his career as lawyer because of lack of money,
and the two times Aparicio Blas called Jimmy to wish a happy birthday, it was to
ask Jimmy to promote his candidacies in “The confessional”, so Aparicio Blas
was more focused on becoming the mayor of the city and he made it, after six
attempts. Thus, one day, Jimmy sent him a whatsapp message saying “I don’t
want to see you again” Aparicio never replied this and three years had passed
from that and Jimmy discovered more disappointing facts about his father, facts
that also took him to this situation of not daring to send a friend request to this
unknown, but important person to him.

Jimmy lived with “Milo”, a white fury dog. His only stable relationship did not end
well when he surprised his girlfriend with his only best friend. However, he did
not get sad because he knew this was a revenge, he had already cheated his
girlfriend with a night club dancer called Ariana in a drinking party night. He had
had many bed stories so he was able to understand his listeners in “The
confessional” since most of these situations had been familiar to him, except for
the friend request issue, he did not know what to do, he only knew that the only
responsible of this situation was Aparicio Blas, his father.

One night, Jimmy checked again this guy’s profile on Facebook, he again saw
the button “send friend request” and wanted to press it, but his index trembled,

he threw the cellphone away and started to cry so loudly that Milo looked at him
weirdly. After that, he picked up his phone and went to the night club where
Ariana worked, he waited until she finished her shift and took her to a motel
where they

were supposed to have sex, they usually did that, they never talked much
about anything, but in this case Jimmy could not do it, and Ariana noticed
this:
-What’s wrong? You’re not focused – She asked worried

- Sorry, I’m not well, I haven’t felt well lastly- Jimmy replied
- I see that, why? Tell me, you can trust me.
- I can’t! No one can understand this issue! - he said
-Tell me, perhaps I can.

Jimmy could not stand this situation, he felt helpless, and so he told Ariana the
whole story about this guy on Facebook he did not dare to send a friend
request, Ariana was not his friend, he just approached her to have sex, but he
felt unable to keep more silence about this situation

-Oh! I see, you know? This has also happened to me, it’s not a problem at all,
you just have to dare, send him the request right now! - She said.
-No, I can’t!
- if you don’t do it, you will never know, it is more simple than you think, but
you must do it, take out your cellphone now !

-Ok….I will now - Jimmy said feeling pushed.

And he finally pressed the button “send friend request”, he freaked out, but he
took the step. The next morning, he heard a noise in his cellphone and realized
this guy accepted his friend request on Facebook, he got nervous, but this gave
Jimmy a certain hope, so he dared to send him a message in the inbox section
and it was the following:

“Hi, I’m the son of Aparicio Blas, I know you’re in touch with him now, this is
difficult for me, it took me three years to do this, three years since I know you
exist…you demanded my father for paternity, I’m your brother and I hope to
have a relationship with you as close brothers”

The message was checked, but it was never replied.

The Therapy Session: By Lucas Cañete

M- y love, I need to tell you something – Ofelia said

-What is it sweetheart? why do you look so worried? – Adán said
Suddenly, one gunshot was heard. The bullet entered Adán’s back and he
fell down.

-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHY DID YOU DO IT?, Adán please, wake
up, WAKE UP! – Ofelia said terrified.

Adán did not react and Ofelia crying loudly was aggressively taken, while
he stayed there bleeding on the ground.

Twenty eight years later, Santiago Fuentealba started his second week in Talca
working at “Psyche”, a building having the most prestigious psychologists.
Santiago won this position with effort and sacrifice. Actually, his life had been
full of sacrifices, pains and efforts. Before his mother died, he could make her
proud when Santiago finished his career as psychologist. However, he could not
do much when an aneurysm surprisingly killed her.

-Sir, what’s your name? - The secretary asked

-My name is Adán Martínez, I have my first therapy session with
Mister Santiago Fuentealba.

-Yes, come in please, he is waiting for you.

Adán walked towards Santiago Fuentealba’s office, but with difficulties, his
back hurt and he used canes to walk. He opened the door.

-Mister Adán, welcome, please sit down – Santiago kindly said.

Adán moved slowly and sat down leaving the canes next to him. This
movement was difficult to do it since his back hurt.

-So, first, we need to know each other to start, tell me about yourself.

Adán did not know what to say, he only knew that his life had abruptly changed
after he was shot and was separated from Ofelia, his only love. He had been in
coma for ten years and when he could wake up, he could not feel his legs so he
had to use a wheelchair, the doctors told him that he would never walk again in
his life, but he would not give up, his main purpose was to find Ofelia, the
woman of his life taken away from him, so no matter what the doctors said, he
found a way to start a rehabilitation process, there was a doctor who finally
believed in his recovery after many rejections. Therefore, he started a slow
rehabilitation that lasted eight years, eight years in which his only motivation was

Ofelia, he could not move by himself, so he knew that it would take long to find
her, but he never gave up and after eight years he left the wheelchair and
started to use canes. The doctor also helped him to locate Ofelia, but there were
no positive results, Ofelia had left the city and no one knew about her location,
then he knew that Ofelia never visited him at the hospital while he was in coma.
Thus, Adán realized that all the efforts were in vain because she could never
find her. Furthermore, he never knew exactly the person who had shot him, he
suspected about Ofelia’s father, that man never agreed with Ofelia and Adán’s
relationship. Adán’s father used to work as gardener at Ofelia’s family house,
Adán met her helping his father in the garden and they just fell in love no matter
what Ofelia’s father, who was a respected businessman, could think. After the
rehabilitation, Adán found a way to have a normal life, he found a job and
married the doctor, but the marriage lasted five years, He could never forget
Ofelia.

-I’m just an old man who has lost everything – Adán replied

-Why is that? – Santiago asked

-Because it’s true, I should have stayed in coma– Adán said

.So you were in coma; that means you are a strong man, there are
always ways to…

-Don’t say bullshit, I’m only here because my boss asked me to do so,
if not I could lose my job, so please, let’s just try to make this brief – Adán
interrupted

-All right, we will, but one question. Are you sleeping well?

Adán was not able to remember the last time he had slept well, whenever he
slept he saw Ofelia, he sometimes saw her dying, sometimes he saw her
screaming his name.

-Ofelia! – Adán said and some tears dropped
-What?! What did you say? – Santiago said surprised

Then, he told the whole story about him and Ofelia from the time they met until
the day he was shot and how he recovered to find her. Adán never thought that
he would talk again about her. Meanwhile, Santiago could not react, he was
shocked.

-Yo…you? - Santiago said

-What? – Adán said

Santiago took out his wallet and took out a picture of a young woman from it.
He showed the picture to Adán.

-This was my mother- Santiago said
When Adán saw the picture, he could not believe it. It was Ofelia, his lost love.

-What is this? Who are you? – Adán said

Santiago told Adán what happened to Ofelia after the shooting. She was forced
to get married with a businessman called Norberto Fuentealba, and left Talca.
Ofelia left Norberto when Santiago was one year old after several violence
episodes; her father never talked to her again. Then, she worked as waitress to
survive economically. Some months ago, she had told him her story with Adán
and also told him that before he was shot, she was going to tell him that she
was pregnant, they were going to have a child. Norberto recognized Santiago as
his son, but could never love him knowing that it was not his. She could not
come back to Talca because if she did, her father told her that he would send
someone to murder Adán. When she was telling the truth to Santiago, and was
about to pronounce “Adán” after so many years without saying it, her head
started to hurt so bad making her unconscious, and then making her sleep
forever.

-S..Son? – Adán attempted to say

-Yes…father, I finally found you…

Santiago approached his father; Adán was crying loudly, they hugged
each other and the therapy session was over.

The Gift

By: Elizabeth Torres R.

March 16th, 1975 was not a normal day for Carmen. It would be her first day at
college and she had not slept the night before, so her face was not good at all,
but the happiness could be seen in her eyes since she was starting her dream
of becoming a lawyer. She went downstairs and found her father taking
breakfast with his immaculate uniform which he wore with absolute pride. That
was something that her daughter admired of him; the endlessly love for his
nation.

As Carmen was a little late for her very first approach to be a lawyer she could
not stay at home any longer; thus, she kissed her father and took her car to

start her first everyday trip to college. When she finally arrived, she could not
believe what she was seeing. Her faculty was full of women and men with
chains around their bodies. Some of them with some photographs of other
people in their chests with the phrase "where are they?", but the thing that
called her attention the most was a man who was saying out loud so many
things that according to Carmen’s father were lies; however, the way he stated
that people were being killed for thinking differently from the current
government’s beliefs and how they were being tortured, provoked an internal
shaking in Carmen. She already knew what was going on in Chile in that time

in which many people did not accept the changes that the military government
imposed to safeguard the citizens and ensure their well-being. At least that

was the thing she always heard from her father who worked for the Junta.

All of a sudden, some people started screaming “the cops are coming” Carmen
could not process the information, as she was absorbed in her thoughts and
the man’s speech. Nonetheless, she came back to reality when someone
pushed her to start running. To her surprise, the person who encouraged her
to move was the man of the protest. Carmen could not believe that her first day
at college started like that, but she was there, running behind an unknown guy
with a special convincing power. He stopped running in a hallway, and
consequently, Carmen also stopped.
“I think this is a good way to meet someone. My name is Fernando” the guy
said to Carmen who was still recovering her breath.

“I am Carmen…”

That was the beginning of an unconditional friendship. Sometimes, Carmen felt
that she was in love with Fernando since he opened a different world for her. A
world in which all the things that her father always said were proved to be lies.
She found a support in Fernando because she could not trust her father
anymore. However, she had to pretend that anything had happened at home
because she was afraid of her father found out her dissenting friend.

Carmen’s life had completely changed. College was really demanding, but she
always had time for her friend, and sometimes she even went to some
meetings with other people who thought that the government was, in fact, a
dictatorship; therefore, she suddenly became indirectly part of that. She did not
speak at all in those meetings, but she heard and built a clear opinion about.
Indeed, she enjoyed being part of the group.

After a year and a half of friendship, their bound was quite strong. Carmen and
Fernando considered each other as real friends. In spite of Carmen’s feelings
for him that sometimes confused her at the point of trying to keep distance
from him, but she could not leave her friend because he was her only support.
September 08th, 1976 was Carmen’s birthday. It was supposed that she would
spend the day with her father, but his job was apparently more important than
her daughter. Thus, she decided to call Fernando to spend her special day
with her special friend despite the fact that they would meet the next day. She
tried again and again, but nobody answered the telephone, so she decided to
spend the day studying since she would see Fernando later.

In fact, she saw Fernando the next day, but that was the last day that their
eyes met. Her beloved friend sacrificed his life for hers. DINA agents captured
him the night before their encounter. After a set of different kinds of tortures,
they sent him to the streets so as to catch all the people who showed any kind
of friendly gesture with him because according to the DINA’s logic that was
enough to consider someone as an enemy.

Fernando saw Carmen on the other side of the street, and as she smiled at
him; he sacrificed his life by stepping out into the street so as to be hit by a
bus. Carmen could not believe what she was seeing. Her friend was laying on
the street and behind him was her father. At that moment, Carmen understood
everything. Her father was part of those people that tortured others who they
considered as enemies. Her father looked at her and that was the last time
they saw each other.

Carmen could not attend to Fernando’s funeral, and that is something which is
constantly in her head. Despite all the years, she still remembers her friend
since it is hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember. He
was the most loyal person she ever met. A person who was with her until his
last life’s second.

As Carmen could not help her friend, she decided to help all the people thirsty
for justice in favour of their relatives who had a similar end as Fernando. All the
people who became stars without skies. At least, Carmen could visit
Fernando’s sky at the cemetery, due to a long research; she could finally find
him to go every week to thank him for such a precious gift… life.

Izzie the Turtle and her feelings

Daniela Gajardo Gutiérrez

Once upon a time, there were three best friends called Laura the Rabbit,
Qeeqee the Cat, and Izzie the Turtle. Every single day they played at the school,
even when they were at home they watched movies together, sang karaoke,
and had the best time they could.

One day, Izzie the turtle realized that she was not as happy as she used to be
some time ago. She felt with less energy, and what worried her the most, she
was not excited about seeing her best friends and playing. Laura, the rabbit and
Qeeqee the Cat noticed that Izzie had been acting different and decided to visit
her, but every time she rejected them by saying “I don´t want to play with you
today” or “I don´t feel like singing karaoke.”

Izzie’s friend got worried because she didn’t want to join them; it made them sad
that she didn’t want to play with them anymore, so they decided to talk with her
mother. When Momma Turtle listened to what Qeeqee and Laura were saying,
she didn’t understand why Izzie was acting like that. But then, she realized that
her daughter had also not been eating or sleeping much.

Momma Turtle felt really worried after that conversation, so she decided to take
her daughter to the doctor. There, Izzie told doctor Doggie that she didn’t
understand why she felt sad almost every day, and that she didn’t have much
energy to hang out with her friends.

Doctor Doggie explained that Izzie has an illness called depression that
damages the brain. He explained that even though we can’t see the damaged
part of the brain, it is as complicated as having a broken bone.

The next day, she called her friends to tell them what Doctor Doggie said. Her
worried friends asked how they could help, so Izzie explained that they need to
be patient and understanding.

Sometimes she wants to play, watch movies and sing karaoke, and others she
doesn’t. Now Laura the Rabbit and Qeeqee the Cat understand when Izzie
wants to be on her own, so they show their love and empathy by being caring
and supportive with her.

Hunting season night
José Aguilera

I have been holding my breath for three hours. There, I find myself next to a pale
window in a dark corner. On the hand of a ghastly night, the fever has reached me
and dragged me and set me free again. Gradually, the ocean approaches me from
below as a hand faintly reaching with ethereal fingers. As I rest lying on my bed, I
feel the tides crashing my spine, and the stress point releases the pain of a
thousand tears held in a sandy eye. Suddenly, I see the air bubbles spilling through
my mouth as pouring metallic wine into the ceiling. Are those sparkling lights fish of
all kinds? There is a group of fish with giant dinosaur teeth wandering endlessly.
And I am drowning among them, with them, beneath them in the distance. Being
awake for so long provokes me these headaches that you feel when the sun
embraces the surface of the earth with melting temperature. Another hour has
passed among these contenting thoughts of the mind alone. After unconsciously
standing up and walking towards a cracked mirror, I witness how deep reality has
carved on the lower eyelids as though I were the bystander of a lifetime. All I can
see are two black marks where my eyes are supposed to be. I can't tell for sure if
there is anything I’m supposed to see with these two craters. The water does not
allow to reach any further since the atmosphere is distorted under the pressure. As
tired as the sunset, the sudden transition marked by the pace of a blink releases the
place…

Through clouds I traced
Your image I chased

I'm trapped in a foggy night
Your image I cannot fight
I run and run so fast

The slower the steps became
I can't no more at last

Your cage I can't escape

So, I run and run
I'm caught and done

The closer he is
I'm part of his

Collection of preys
I can't escape

And then...

With a blink it started, and it finishes with a blink. Through the curtains,
the sunlight unmasks itself, driving the air through the lungs as the final relief of
a desperate mind. Consequently, they announce the end of the hunting season.

When spring comes

By Victoria Tapia

Spring comes with a myriad of flashbacks from our days together.
Spring comes and the happiness of children reminds me of the way you laughed
gracefully.
Spring comes and the joy of our picnics by the river materialize in front of my eyes.
Spring comes and suddenly I catch a glimpse of your smile in every flower I pass by.
Spring comes and the trace of the air smells just like your hair did that last spring.
Spring comes and I no longer feel alone.
I see your shadow next to mine.
I feel your touch alongside.
It’s almost as if you are waiting for me at the door of our house.
It’s almost as if I’m a fourteen-year-old again.
It’s almost as if you are making fun of my hippie clothes and my messy hair.

It’s almost as if you are about to burst into a song while cooking.
It’s almost as if we are holding hands.
It’s almost as if you were never gone.
It’s almost as if you never broke the promise to see me accomplish all this.
But as I’m reaching for you everything goes black.
Spring comes but you are no longer by my side.
We are not laying on the grass.
Mama, you are no longer holding me in your arms.
Mama, as I write this poem to you I reminisce on our days together.
Mama, I’m achieving your dreams even if you are not here to see.
Spring comes and I wonder...
Mama, are you proud of me?

Fra nc isc a Pérez Góm ez

They have a power
No one else can hold.
They can make you feel warm
and they can make you feel cold.

You cannot avoid them
even though you try.

They can make you smile
They can make you cry.

Words are not simple
Sometimes sound surreal.

They tend to hurt
but they also tend to heal.

Under the water. By Alice.

This is how it feels
Warm and calm,
ike cotton.
There is where I belong.

No sounds,
just your heart.
Songs of mermaids
like a lullaby.

Blue and fresh,
the sun through the water
highlight my skin like a silver angel.
Gold sand, in this deep blue heart,

the shiny particles in the water makes me feel alive.
Small creatures accompany me,
through this long way to find my destiny.
A kingdom of immensity is now where I live
full of mermaids and tritons waiting for me .

Sad moments come to my heart,
parts of a black and deep ocean where I will never want to fall down
He always protects me.

Sometimes

Naroa Raymond

When the heart gets confused,
sometimes there is nothing to do.
When your mind is clear but you don’t do
anything, it's because sometimes you don’t
know what to do. When you explode because
you don’t want more, it's because sometimes
you don’t want to assume that there are things
that you’re afraid to suffer and that sometimes
there is nothing left but to hope.
Sometimes you realize,

and other times you don’t,

then your heart is paralyzed;

now you know, it's time to go.

RESISTANCE by Queen D

They tell me what to wear,
I choose not to listen.

The perception of femininity is unfair,
I demand the right to be well treated.

Women’s rights are not a joke,
but some people just don’t understand,

we need more than a vote,
this must come to an end.

They tell me what to say,
I decide not to listen.

Courage is needed to take
thousands of voices in here written.

What we want is respect,
and yet abuses we get instead.
None of us is safe from death,

this must come to an end.

‘Hope', by George Frederic Watts Sometimes

Sometimes I wonder
Is this life enough to live?
My heart just keeps on hoping
and I just want to believe.

Sometimes I wonder
Can I just give it all?
My heart just keeps on hoping
but sometimes I feel so small.

Sometimes I wonder
Should I stay in this place?
My heart just keeps on hoping
but it is visible in my face.

Sometimes I wonder
Will they ever know?
My heart just keeps on hoping
that my true feelings never show.

The literary contest ceremony

Victoria Tapia, 1st place Poem category José Reyes, 1st place Tale category

Participants in the 2018 literary contest

Until we meet again… keep writing