Photo: F Delventhal via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 2.0
overwhelmed by the sights and sounds at jorge chavez airport
fast castellano coming from everyone
with cumbia in the background
machu picchu advertisements everywhere
my mind is trying to process everything in real time
I’m here, I’m here, I’m here
the land of inca cola, ceviche and my ancestors
land that I haven’t seen since the age of 9
happy and completely elated
euphoria and goosebumps felt from my bones
to my skin
I never thought I’d see it again
poverty kept me away
but I’m here, I’m here, I’m here
my beloved Perú
the land I left without consent
the land I was taught to menospreciar
I’m here, I’m here, I’m here
and I can’t wait to get reacquainted with you
mi tierra-once again
Patty Tacuri resides in Athens, GA. She has a blog called Life on the BPD, where she talks about various topics ranging from relationships to mental health to politics.She writes poetry to process the intense emotions that come with having mental illness. It is reflective of the experiences she’s had being a working-class Latinx first-generation millennial woman with mental health issues.In her free time, she spends time with her friends and kids, writes poetry, short stories, and essays. She also likes to go to open mic and perform her poetry.