escuincle: alejandro garcía
 
 
 
 
 

childhood story

 
I am originally from Bogota, Colombia. I think got started in art because my grandfather was an inspiration; he was a self-taught carpenter, magician, and folk-painter. I was also influenced by mother's unending talents.

One of the stories of my childhood memories includes my mother. Actually, she is in a lot of them. She was very creative to answer my seemingly endless questions as a child. If she did not know the answer, she replied with a creative one.

Once, I asked her why the sky is blue, and she told me that she didn't know, however -she added, if you climb up to the top of a mountain you could actually touch the color. In a way, I still think it's possible.

 

featured artist: santiago sandi-ureña poet, costa rica

 
 
I was born in the highlands and raised in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. There I received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Costa Rica before moving to South Carolina where I have completed an MS and now am in the final year of the PhD program in the Department of Chemistry at Clemson University. I have worked in radio broadcasting production and participated in several projects aimed at promoting positive social change. I think I am a teacher at heart, or maybe just admire the vocation of those who are real teachers. I have taught at secondary and college level both in Costa Rica and the US.
 
 
 
poem written by santiago sandi-ureña, inspired by alejandro's childhood story
 
 
 

 

 

Sueño y ganas

 

Dreams and desires

 

Corro, corro, corro.
Corro.

Mamá me dice que de un salto
podría alcanzar el cielo.

Hay,
en una montaña alta,
un campanario desde donde,
con un solo salto,
podría alcanzar el cielo.

No sé si me miente
o se miente ella misma:
mamá me dice que de un solo salto
podría alcanzar el cielo.

No sé si me miente
o de verdad lo cree
y corre, corre, corre.
Corre,
como soñando tropezar con el trampolín escondido.

Corre, corro.
Mamá corre y yo corro.

Me lleva asido a su ruedo,
enredado entre sus piernas,
colgado de ese hilo umbilical
convertido en aliento.
En su voz quedita,
mamá lleva un huracán por dentro

Mamá me quiere y quiere que yo sueñe con tocar el cielo.

En un solo salto
me arrimé tanto,
que caí lejos
- no me dí cuenta -
bien lejos del campanario viejo.


Del estado inquietante de inocencia
al imperturbable estado de residencia.
Perdí y gané,
la aritmética no me cierra.

No sé si me miento
o de verdad lo creo:
no toqué el cielo
pero descargué el traje de los sueños.

Traje, traje, traje,
y nunca me he llevado nada.
Un traje lleno de ganas,
traje un traje lleno de historias
con que mamá me encendía el cometa de los sueños.

Escuincle niño, escuincle viejo

Una sola madre,
y,
entre tías, hermanas y abuelas,
siete mamás al menos.
Un huracán quedito y todos los alientos
levantan al escuincle niño, escuincle viejo
.


 

 

Run, run, run
Run

Mom tells me that if I jump I could reach the sky

There is,
In a high mountain,
A bell tower from where,
With a single jump,
I could reach the sky

I don’t know if she is lying to me
Or she lies to herself
Mom tells me with a single jump
I could touch the sky

I don’t know if she is lying to me
O she really believes it
And run, run, run
Run
Like dreaming to stumble with the hidden trampoline

She runs, I run
Mom runs, I run

She takes me holding to her edge
Tangled up in her legs
Hanging from that umbilical cord
Turned into breath
In her soft voice
Mom carries a hurricane inside

Mom loves me, and wants me to dream with touching the sky.

In one jump
I got so close
That I fell far away
-I did not realize-
so far away from the old bell tower

From the disquieting state of innocence
To the undisturbed state of residency
I lost and I won
Arithmetic does not add up

I do not know if I lie to myself
Or I actually believe it
I did not touch the sky
But I emptied the suit of the dreams


I brought, I brought, I brought
But I have never taken anything
A suit filled with desires
A suit filled with stories
That mamma used to ignite the comet
of the dreams

Child Escuincle, Old Escuincle

And only one mother
And,
Among aunts, sisters and grandmothers,
Seven sisters at least
A quiet hurricane and all the breaths
Lift up the child Escuincle, old Escuincle.

*This is not meant to be a poetic translation but a literal translation to assist the reader in understanding the meaning of the poem