How have you been? It’s been a while since we caught up, we’ve both been busy with life. I see that you still very much love my poems, somehow coming to all my poem readings, knowing where they all are. I’m actually really curious on how you find those out.  While I do appreciate your support, can I  talk to you about that? 

Your support helps me very much mom, your support made me who I am today. Though, I do believe you are bit erratic with your supporting. The shouting and  screaming disturbs the flow of the poem as well as the listening experience. I understand that you might be excited, but please, if you can support me a little less, that would be really nice.  It’s not you, I just really prefer some time to myself, but please I do really love you and thank you for coming to my readings till now. 

Also, this may be rude of me to ask but can you attend less? I feel a bit embarrassed with you coming all the time and it messes up my speaking. Those poems are a little personal and you attending my readings makes me unconfy. Plus, it’s not really that important of an event, so coming would be useless anyways. That being said, I really appreciate you coming either way till now. 

Te amo gracias por todo mami

Your loving daughter, 

Yolanda Garcia

The Gracia family is a real handful, they’re a mixture of old fashioned, chaotic and modist. Yolondas parents believe men run the household so if you were to meet Yolondas father keep a prideful and masculine face. He’s an incredibly hard one to please, all the men his daughters have ever dated/married have disapproved of all of them. Most oftenly casting a haunting aurora with just his eyes, his stare is so strong you can feel his disgust creeping up your veins until it reaches your heart. 

Yolanda's mother is the more joyful one out of the two, often tucked away in the shadows embracing the warmth of her family rather than being the main center point of it. She greatly supports Yolanda with her poetry even though it has mature details that she doesn't exactly believe in. She just wants what's best for her girls, when not reserved she tries to spread her inner booming energy amongst her girls. Once you burst a bubble about one of her girls she can talk about them for hours and all their embarrassing memories.

 Speaking of girls, Yolandas sisters are all like untamed animals, running around causing chaos in their own aspects. Yo’s younger sister Sofia is like a caged up bird, wanting to be free in her own aspect, but the only way to achieve the freedom she desired was to run off with a man she loved. Essentially cutting her off from the family, but because she cares for her family so much she threw a rope to her father, as an attempt to climb back into the family. It's important due to the fact she's the first to bear a male child in the Garcia family. 

Carla is the oldest and is a child psychologist, she deeply analyzes their childhood and always thinks about why something happens. She might try to analyze you if you get really close with Yo, but you should be fine because she has no bad intentions, she just wants to make sure her family’s happy. 

Then the 2nd born child Sandra has an elegant yet haunting look to her. Sandra has her own mental problems going on. Her heart is made of pure gold covered in a hard coating of dirt preventing others from being able to see it. 

Overall you should be fine with the Gracia family, they just have little nooks and crannies that you have to work though but Yolonda will be there to work it out with you, so one knows 

Love and Hearts-Your Daughter

First I would like to wish you the best of luck and hope this letter will find you well. Clive, the woman you love has a condition you must meet. You must understand and  handle the Garcia family. This is no easy task. You must always expect the unexpected. In order to deal with this family, you must win the hearts of each family member. 

The mom will be the easiest to to love you back because she just wants her daughter to feel love and affection. However, the father will be the hardest heart you’ll find that will love you. The father is very overprotective and just wants his girls to be safe and can be given the love and respect they deserve. 

To win his heart you have to be so close to him you become a son that he never had. Demonstrate love to him, respect, and confidence towards him. You also need to be able to show Yolanda you love her infront of her family and show that you want love not lust. But, Clive, the most important thing to never forget is to always be patient. I hope you can use this advice to the best ability you can. Dating a latina girl is like dating her whole family. 

How’s everything going? I just wanted to write to you about something that’s been on my mind a lot. In regard to my poetry readings, I truly appreciate your support. It’s just somewhat embarrassing when I share these poems and you sit in the front row so excited and over share about me to whoever is sitting near you. Even when I don’t tell you about my readings, you manage to show up regardless. Some things I would prefer to keep more private and when you show up, it throws me off. Like I said, as much as I appreciate your support, maybe you should only come to the ones that I invite you to so I can give it my all.  I’m not saying to stop coming to my poetry readings, just not every single one of them.

As I stood on that stage, reading my words aloud to the crowd, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and nervousness. But the moment I saw you sitting there, smiling and nodding along with each verse, my nerves melted away. Your presence gave me the strength and confidence to share my innermost thoughts and emotions. Although I appreciate the support, Mom, I need to have a serious conversation with you about coming to my poetry readings. While I appreciate your support and love having you there, I have to admit that it can be quite embarrassing for me. As an adult daughter, I'm trying to establish myself as a serious poet, and having my mom in the audience can sometimes make me feel like a child again. I want to be taken seriously by my peers and having you there can sometimes undermine that. It's not that I don't value your opinion or that I don't want you to be a part of my life, but there are times when I need my space to express myself freely and without any reservations. Having you at my poetry readings can sometimes make me feel self-conscious and like I need to censor my words and emotions. I want to share my work openly and honestly, without worrying about how it will be perceived by my family. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from and respect my need for independence and autonomy in my creative pursuits. I would love for you to continue supporting me from afar and maybe we can find other ways to connect and bond over my poetry, without you having to attend every single reading. I value your input and your presence in my life, but I also want to establish myself as an individual artist with my voice and vision. Thank you for being understanding and for always being there for me, even when it's not always easy. I still appreciate the love from you but I want to bond with you in a different setting like brunch this Saturday. I hope you write back to me and come to Lulus on Saturday for brunch. 

 Sincerely , your yo-yo 

My home where you lie,

How I want to hold you so,

And be with you wherever we go,

Oh My Love, My Clive,

I could never tell you a lie,

You look at me so sweetly,

You keep me happy every night,

My Love, My Clive,

Are you alright?

I never want to see you unhappy,

I never want to see you cry,

My Love, My Clive,

How much do you love me?

How much do I keep you up at night?

Oh I hope you feel my love all the time,

Oh My Love, Oh My Clive

With love,

Yoyo

What was today...

To think I could escape the embarrassment my mother never ceases to dish out to me was foolish. What did I do to deserve the circumstance I've been put in! I was so nervous on that stage, and to think the person I would be reading about would be in the same row as my MOTHER! UGH I can't stop thinking about it without churning from the inside out.

I wrote a poem about sex... with my lover....who was listening to stories about me from young from my MOTHER. How will I move on? How much does he know? WHAT does he know? Does he think of me disgusting? Only God knows where this will take me, and how many guavas I'll have to stu my face with to cope. For so long, I've tried to avoid the sheer horror of my mother listening to the most intimate parts of my life in vivid poems, her naivety almost endearing. And still I nd myself in the most vulnerable positions, and that night had to have been the icing en el torta. How did my sisters ever manage this mess?

Why should I even be embarrassed? I wanted people to feel what I felt for the man I loved so deeply. I wanted other women to feel comfort in their sensuality, maybe even my mother. But I can’t help but feel indelicate about myself, my wants and desires.

I don’t feel comfortable with you to sit in on my poetry reading. That is something very personal to me and i dont want you to see that side of me. I understand that your my mother and you wanna support me in anything I do but im honestly telling you that you can sit this one out for me. You cna support me in that way by not being there. The letter I wrote to my man, I did not intend for you to hear that and now I feel embarrased that you do. You might feel betrayed that I hid this from you and being sneaky but its okay I just wanted keep this to my self because it is special. I apologize for that but can you please not show up to my poetry readings anymore.

Sincerely, Your daughter.

Ms Lamour, Chairman, Foster

AP Language

Journal Entry

Another poetry night, another time for vergüenza (embarrassment)… Last night, like many of my other nights, was poetry night. And yet again, despite my prayers of the opposite outcome happening, mami keeps on coming to them. I try my damn hardest to keep details about my poetry nights behind closed doors, and yet she somehow, by the grace of god, finds out the exact time and date of each event. However, unlike other poetry nights, this one felt different from the rest. More… humillante (humiliating) than all the others simply because of Clive. Now, I don’t blame him entirely, since I never really told him about my mother or anything personal, but why did he have to sit there out of all the seats?? It was already bad with Mami in front row seats, having this massive, proud smile on her face making me mess up on my words. But, with Clive there, holding onto my mami’s arm, it just makes it all the more worse! All of it just made me nothing but a complete nervous wreck on stage! …Y’know what? Enough is enough! The day before my next poetry night, I’ll finally ask her not to attend it. Maybe then I can finally have the confidence to speak clearly. Plus, what’s the worst that can happen?

     I feel melancholy but there is nothing I can do to deal with it. My parents, they never understand us. We have tried hard to make them understand what we really want, the consequence is that they thought we were vexatious, and it made everyone tired. I am exhausted to change her mind, but still doing effort on it. 

Color-coding is a system where you mark things with different colors for easy identification. I’m sure almost everyone reading this has color-coded something before, whether that be school supplies, toys, etc. But has anyone ever tried using the same system for their kids? It seems easy and convenient, but there are many harms to this, I should know, I was a color-coded kid. My mother used this system on my three sisters and I. The color-coding system is not a great way to raise your kids because it causes kids to not be able to explore/express themselves as they truly want.

Since I was born I have had to deal with this color system. I was expected to do almost everything in yellow, while my sisters had different colors they were expected to do everything in. The colors were usually very basic colors like yellow, pink, white and blue. We usually wanted different colors but our mother really didn’t let us choose our own colors, because it would be difficult for her. She’s always said we were “driving her crazy”. My youngest sister claims that the color system “smacked of an assembly line mentality”. Color-coding had very much weakened my sisters and I’s identity differentiation and made us forever unclear about personality boundaries.

Even though our love is secret 

I would never stop loving you 

Each day that passes 

I think of you 

Like the flowers waiting for the sun 

And the bees waiting for the nectar 

My beloved Clive 

I hope i can see you ‘

And go out with you

Like its our first time on a date 

Talk with for hours until the sunsets 

My love for you would never fade away 

I hope yours doesnt either 

Hope we die together 

And meet in another life 

We would surely be togerther 

Because my love for you will never die 

I know you are my mother, nothing in this world can change the fact that you birthed me. That is the first thing I wanted to address, I will always love you no matter what and nothing in the world can change that. You have to realize something though, poetry is my way of expression and I take it very privately when it comes to what I write and speak when I am up there. You can agree that presenting myself up there is already hard enough but seeing you there in all due respect makes my heart plummet like a head-first dive to a pool. You have always been there for me and I truly appreciate it, I try to understand you and question why you are always supporting me front row at these poetry sessions, and maybe it is because you see me as a little old Yo-Yo but I'm just not that little girl I used to be. I will not stress enough how private these poems are and how intimate they are to me. To fuel the fire, you also speak to Clive while I'm there. God knows what you tell him about me and all I ask you is to not go to the poetry sessions anymore, please, they are the only way I get to express my emotions out there and get people to relate to my writing pieces. If you truly love me, I beg you to stay home, respect my wishes, and not attend my poetry sessions.

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely, yours truly Yolanda/YoYo

Mi amor

When you kiss me I want more

You are the only one I adore

You smell like flowers

When I’m with you a minute feels like an hour

Hug me in an eternal embrace

So i stay in a state of peace and grace 

Ill never get tired of saying te amo

You’re sweet like jugo de mango 

Oh my Clive

You make me feel alive

  After a while ,it was my turn to go on stage . i took a deep breath and walked up bravely . As expected , i saw my mother sitting close to the front of the stage . At the same time , i saw my boyfriend sitting next to my mother. This made me a little worried . i was afraid that my boyfriend would expose my relationship with him next to my mother . so my heart tightened. While reciting my poems quickly , i looked in the direction of my mother . At this time , i was like a devout believer praying to God constantly . During this tormenting speech , i saw my mother constantly introducing me to the people next to her in the future . this made me blush, feel ashamed and embarrassed, and feel more and more tormented.

   Finally , as the applause from the audience rang out , i took a deep breath, as if a huge stone had been lifted off my chest . Then i quickly stepped off the stage , walked to my mother’s side, greeted my boyfriend , pretended to be unfamiliar with him, and quickly took my mother away from this embarrassing place.

Mi amor, you are my one and only 

You make me laugh when I wanna cry 

You make me live when I wanna die

As long as I’m with you I’m alive 

The way you pin me down 

Take control and turn me inside out 

I got your back and you got mines 

I love you mi amor

#myman myman

  Why does my mother still want to come to my poetry recitation? I was chatting with Clive there, God knows how nervous I was! Does she want to see me perform or do she want to use it as something to talk about with the ladies? I really don’t understand! Why can't she respect my ideas? What a stubborn donkey!She shouldn't find out that Clive is my secret lover, right? It would be too bad if she found out, I would drown in spit, and I would never allow this to happen! I will definitely warn Clive when I see him. I hope he can keep this secret.

  I still hope to have a communication with my mother and make her respect my ideas, although I know this is very slim. Maybe our conversation will come from a lady’s mouth one day, which is the worst!

  oh! It's really terrible. My heart seems to be pressed by a black cloud that won't dissipate for a long time. I hope that something or someone can clear this dark cloud for me and let me feel the sunshine and rainbow. I hope so much!

  It’s bound to be a sleepless night!

DEAR Mami

I trust this letter find you amidst the gentle embrace of good health and warmth.

I want to say thank you for your visit to my poetry reading. I was very embarrassed and felt uncomfortable, because I delved into more intimate themes involving my love life. One of reasons of my ashamed feelings is the poetry not for mothers and daughters relationships, i can talk with you about all in our life, but intimate topics I can’t dissect with you, sorry.

Your presence there meant a lot to me.Thank you for always being there for me, for believing in me, and for inspiring me to follow my passions. Your unwavering support has been my anchor and I am so grateful to have you as my mother. Thank you for always supporting me and believing in my dreams.

Thank you, Mom, for being my biggest cheerleader, my confidante, and my guiding light. But in future i hope you can understand me and we can build some “discussion boards” between our relationships, thank you for understanding.    

               With all my love

                                            Yolanda

I love you.

Atentamente Yolanda tu hija.

Mommy, I've been wanting to talk to you about something that's been on my mind for a while; it's nothing to worry about, but I have something to tell you: CAN YOU STOP COMING TO MY POETRY READING. Lo siento, mami, but if you could stop coming to my poetry reading, it would make me very happy. Si usted pregunta por que? Because the poems I read are very sexual and contain very adult content, and seeing you hearing my poems makes me nervous, please refrain from coming to my poetry reading. Mami, I don't want you to come to my POETRY READINGS anymore.

Por favor,perdone me madre

Lo siento

Yolanda

 I am very grateful for you coming to my poetry reading. As my mom, I thank you for all the love and support you give to my poetry.  But as your daughter, there is something I have to tell you.I was very embarrassed when you came to my poetry reading. When I tell my pomes to others I am very intimate about my sexual life with my boyfriend. It is not that I am scared an nervous about my written it is the fact that I tell it in front of my own mother. still love you Mamia but next time you stay home with Dad he needs your company more than I do.

Love you 

Yolanda

I would like to write this letter to you and wanted you to know that I don't want you to feel bad after or think I don't love you but I just don't want you to come to my pottery sessions anymore because it about something that I did and i express it in a more deeper part of it but I don't want you to think different of me and look at me differently and I just want you to know that I love you and it finds you in the best way possible

From

Yolanda

In the brilliance of your eyes, Clive,

my soul awakens and revives.

In your embrace I find endless peace,

you are my lighthouse, my beginning and my end.

In every whisper my heart

finds the sweet melody of your passion.

You are the breeze that caresses my skin,

in your love I find my sky and my honey.

Together, we will fly beyond time,

our love, an eternal breath.

You will forever be my desire and my light,

Clive, my beloved, you are my cross

‘’You are my unspeakable secret, my impossible repentance, my unattainable dream and my unforgettable love, in my mind I do not stop thinking about you every day it is more overwhelming, the unbreakable wait my intractable king I can’t stop reminding you through your sweet and tranquilizing aroma, which was reflected in my gray dress when we danced I remember son much those icy kisses and abundant hugs’’

Lover, Yolanda… 

I know meeting my family can be intimidating, but please dont let them scare you off.They can be a bit overwhelming at times, but they mean well.Just be yourself and show them that you care about me.My mom can be a bit controlling, but she just wants what's best for her daughters. Be respectful and listen to her advice, but don't let her dictate your every move. She'll appreciate it if you show her that you're responsible and trustworthy. My sisters can be a handful, but they're loyal and protective. They'll tease you, but it's all in good fun. Just roll with the punches and don't take anything too seriously.

A long time ago I remember when we were shopping in the store and you wanted bright red shoes because you liked them so much. But at the time we couldn’t afford them, so your mother told us to buy the white shoes. As just a little kid you were so sad Carla, because they were a bit different but then I had a nice idea so you can be happy. After we bought the shoes I had the idea to paint the shoes with your Mother red nail polish and of course it wasn’t the same type of color or anything but it was still a fresh red compared to the white that you hated. Even though as a kid you didn’t know this but you were a bit spoiled only because we loved you so much. That caused you to not understand how to save money and control the urge to save what you have, but as your got older you learned.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

A love that time can never tire.

Your touch, a balm to my souls desire,

In every moment, you lift me higher.

From Santo Domingo’s sunlit streets,

To the rhythm where our passion meets,

Your whispers soft, oh, how it fleets,

In every beat, my heart repeats.

Your eyes, a gaze that warmly glows,

A story only my spirit knows.

Clive, my love, as the river flows,

In your arms my true home shows.

We dance, we laugh, under moonlit skies,

A love so vast as the ocean lies.

Clive, my love, my hearts prize,

In every breath, my love defies.

For you, mi amor, I am forever bound,

In the salsa of love, we can be found.

With you Clive, my world is so sound,

In our love, paradise profound.

Your touch, a fire that consumes me whole,

In every moment, my love is the soul.

In our nights filled with passion’s play, 

We explore intimacy in unreasoned ways.

Your body and mine, in perfect harmony,

United in a dance of love and glee.

I love you Clive, more than anything

I hope one day ill have a diamond ring

Around my finger, as your wife

So then we can live out the perfect life.

In our souls, desire burns bright,

In each encounter, love boasts its might.

 You are my refuge my safe harbor.

In your love, i find my future, farther.

I know you try your hardest to be there for me as a mother. But I have to let you know how I truly feel about relationships as mother and daughter. You know like I do, that you usually go to all of my poetry readings. But the truth is when you come to my poetry ready u make me feel really embarrassed that it was to a point where I tried to keep some of my poetry reading from you. But you always still found out about them and were in the front row every time. Which I appreciate but I just had to let you know how I felt.

I know you're probably confused on why you make me feel so embarrassed that you're doing your job and being a mother but I’m going to tell you. If I’m being honest even when you're well behaved your presence still throws me off . No offense but you

just being there just brings me so much embarrassment. Being that my poems are often about lovers and sex for girls and that’s not often a topic you speak about so freely in front of your mother. Even though you did not realize the subjects of the poems it still makes me uncomfortable expressing myself in that way in front of you . I hope you can understand where I’m coming from and respect my privacy.

      For love that only you can give miles apart

     My soul and your soul, My body and your body 

     Entwine, In the sheets we meet, in streets we shine

     Our bodies merge in fiery dance, Lost in the trance

     Of Love’s Romance, Our Love hinds in the shadows

     As my fear of others would take me to the gallows

     Leaving me breathless and scared of my demise

In breathless whispers, secrets told, In ecstasy, our hearts unfold.

     In this sacred, intimate hex, Love and lust intertwine, complex

     This feeling of lust so wrong in the ways of Man and God

     But if I must defile the two to reach you the choice is clear to me 

     My Love You and only You can make me feel whole while away 

     From them You My love are my savior and my Bane

     Saving me from the loneliness, of the hole in my heart

    But also dooming me to being swallowed whole by the shame of my family.

      - Yolanda Garcia

My face turned pale as deadly pale, My legs refused to walk away, And when he looked, what could I ail?

My life and all seemed turned to clay.

And then my blood rushed to my face And took my eyesight quite away, The trees and bushes round the place Seemed midnight at noonday.

I could not see a single thing, Words from my eyes did start-

They spoke as chords do from the string, And blood burnt round my heart.

Are flowers the winter's choice?

Is love's bed always snow?

he seemed to hear my silent voice, Not love's appeals to know.

I never saw so sweet a face

As that I stood before.

My heart has left its dwelling-place

And can return no more.

In the depths of my heart, a symphony plays, A melody of love that never fades. With every breath I take, I feel your presence near, Your love, a constant reminder, so clear. Like the ocean waves crashing upon the shore, Our love grows stronger, forevermore. Through the highs and lows, we'll stand side by side, Our souls entwined, on this love-filled ride. In your eyes, I see a universe unfold, A love story written in letters of gold. With every touch and every gentle kiss, I find solace in your love, pure and bliss. Together we'll conquer any storm we face, With love as our armor, we'll embrace. Through laughter and tears, we'll navigate, A love so deep, it's impossible to dissipate. So let this love poem be a testament, To the love we share, so heaven-sent. Forever and always, my heart is true, For my love, my darling, I'm forever devoted to you.

To my love

-clive

Your touch, a gentle breeze that sets me free,

In your embrace, I feel pure serenity.

With every word you speak, my heart takes flight,

Your laughter, a melody that feels so right.

Together, we dance through life's endless song,

In your arms, I know where I truly belong.

Your love is a light, guiding me through,

Through stormy seas, you're my anchor, it's true.

With you, my love, I've found my missing piece,

A love so deep, it brings my soul such peace.

So let our love bloom like flowers in spring,

With you, my darling, my heart will always sing.

Forever and always, our love will remain,

In your arms, my love, I've found my sweetest gain.

Love blossoms like stars in the night when it is wrapped in your warm embrace.

Every delicate caress, every touch, our spirits intertwined, our love.

Your kind remarks fill my heart with joy and make me feel like I belong, much like a comforting song.

Everlasting love that is so pure.

Every kiss we exchange is like a lovely tune, expressing our intense affection for one another.

I see the reflection of love in your eyes. a relationship that is full of love.

Hand in hand, we travel through life's ups and downs together, resilient against them all.

We are appreciative of the love we have found, our souls unveiled and forever bonded.

Im lost in a passionate haze,in your embrace,we dance,we laugh ,beneath the stars, our souls clash. my heart cries your name with every beat.

sincerely, Yolanda

I’m very thankful for all your support when it comes to my poetry readings. For all the applauding, giving standing ovations. But to be frank I am embarrassed to the point that I even try to keep it a secret from you. The embarrassment comes from the fact that my poems are addressed to lovers, sonnets in bedrooms and I don't feel comfortable talking about those things in front of you because you yourself said you don't believe in sex for girls, and you say that my poems are from my great imagination. I hope that expressing my feelings to you dont cause any tension or problems between us. Te quiero mucho.

-love Yoyo 

I hope tomorrow gives some relief and that this embarrassing recollection fades with time.

Yours sincerely, Yolanda

-Yolanda

Last night felt like a blur, maybe I passed out. You know I'm grateful to have you in my life not only as my mama, but as my biggest support as well. As much as I love seeing you, it does get a little weird that you show up to events that are unexpected places to see you in. My poems include romantic feelings inside of it and should not be heard by any parent at all. I get this uncomfortable and embarrassed feeling when reading. I shouldn’t be feeling that way and instead I should be feeling the emotions that are written in the poem. I tried my best to not make it seem harsh, but don’t you think it’s a little weird to show up at my poetry readings? Don’t you think that it’s an invasion of privacy??? I love you so much mama, but you’re making people uncomfortable too. You never know if there’s a special someone in the crowd… If there ever is someone special then I don’t want anything to happen between us over my mama listening to my poems. I think it’s time for you to keep a little distance between our relationship and what goes on with my life events. Let your little bird be free. Please don’t take it the wrong way nor start to turn into papa when he had an argument con mi hermana. I hope this letter makes you take into consideration about your future show ups to my events. Enjoy the rest of your day and I’ll see you soon.

Love, 

Yolanda

A tender touch that shows how much we care, 

It's a dance of two hearts, forever we share,

A love so pure like ours, it's so one of a kind 

Oh, Clive, my heart beats with a fervent desire,

In your presence, my soul feels like it's on fire.

In the midst of our cultural divide,

Our love blossoms, unable to hide.

So, let our love story continue to unfold,

In the pages of my book, a tale to be told.

A bond that will endure, no matter how long.

Atentamente,

Yolanda

Thorns, yet gentle and so fair

Your petals soft as silk to the nose,

 Your scent so sweet, beyond compare

Your eyes, just like daisies in the sun,

They’re always so bright and full of fun.

Your lips, soft and a gentle pink, 

It makes my heart soar, far over the brink

Your touch, a field of lavender,

So soothing, beyond all measure.

In your embrace, I lose all my sense, 

Lost in a world of your love and pure presence.

Clive, oh Clive, 

You are my favorite flower, 

My bouquet of pure devotion.

Forever in your garden, I'll stay,

Together, our love will grow and sway

I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express something that has been on my mind for quite some time now. Whenever you come to my poetry readings, it means more to me than words can express. 

Your presence in the audience fills me with a sense of warmth and support that I cherish deeply. There's something incredibly comforting about knowing that you are there, listening attentively to my words, even when they may touch upon sensitive or personal topics. Your unwavering support gives me the courage to share my thoughts and feelings with the world, knowing that I have your love and encouragement behind me. Your presence at my readings also reminds me of the bond we share as mother and daughter. It's a bond that has been my anchor through the highs and lows of life, and seeing you in the crowd reaffirms the strength of that bond.

I want you to know how much your presence means to me and how grateful I am to have you as my mom. Your love and support have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am forever thankful for that.

With all my love,

Yolanda

 With every beat of my heart, I softly utter your name, A symphony of yearning that ignites my soul's flame. In your embrace, I find solace and tranquility, A sanctuary where all worries cease to be.

 Clive, my love, in you I witness the birth of a new day, A promise of eternity with each morning's ray. Together, we create a tapestry of dreams, Where love reigns supreme in never-ending streams.

 So here I stand, vulnerable and exposed before you, My heart an open book, genuine and true. In every word and every sigh, Understand that it's you who makes me soar high.

 For in your loving arms, I discover my true abode, A love so profound, words can never fully decode. Clive, my dearest, the joy of my heart, Forever with you feels like the perfect start.

Trust that I come from a very loving family but they’re not easily impressed. Like me you may have different views and opinions but please acknowledge and respect their cultural heritage, as you know we come from a Dominican background. They’re very opinionated and operate with certain behaviors, due to the impact of their cultural values, traditions, and experiences. Be patient and understanding as they navigate through cultural adaptation and identity struggles, they’re very set in their ways but they’re not completely dismissive. Be mindful of their individual preferences and sensitivities. There’s so many personalities from my Tia Carmen, to Sandra. Invest time and effort in building genuine relationships with them. Show interest in their lives, individual experiences, and personal aspirations.

   To my love Clive.

As I sit here and write this letter I hope that you know I send my heart out to you with it but know that as the days go by I long more and more for your touch, the way your eyes shine like stars on a cool summer night, the way your laughter fills me with warmth. 

Clive I love you

Sincerely, Yolanda

In this new world so far from home your love is the anchor that keeps me from roaming amidst the chaos of cultures colliding, your embrace is the safe haven lm hiding. You have seen me struggle to find my place torn between the old and the new i must face. But with you by my side i feel no shame for in your eyes i see only love not blame. Together we’ve weathered the storms of change navigating this life,so foreign and strange your patience, your understanding and your unwavering care theses are the gifts that make my heart soar without a care in the world. Clive my love my constant my guiding light in your arms i find the strength to take flight. Through this journey of self-discovery and growth your love is the compass that keeps me on course, i vow. So let us continue hand in hand side by side embracing the future our cultures unified.for with you my love i have found my true home, A place where my heart can forever roam 

Your always, Yolanda 

         When you are there I feel very self conscious. I worry about whether you'll interrupt me, or if you will ever understand the deep meaning behind the words. I understand that you want to be involved, but sometimes I need the space to explore different things without you being there. It’s not that I don't want you there, I would just like to find my own voice without worrying that you’ll judge me. 

          Mom. I love you dearly, and I know you want the best for me. I am very grateful for your support and always being there for me. I just hope that you can respect my wishes of me having my own creative freedom. I also hope that we can continue to have conversations like this in the future. But lastly, I need you to understand and accept the artist that I am now becoming. 

• Love, Yolanda

In all its aww

I yearn to trust

I lust in all my desire to trust, it

Saddens me

That i fine no definition in trust, in just in desire

In friendship, in family, in a

Relationship Sad,

describe the definition of trust Its sad.

That wont astray

A feeling thats lost, and wont stay

The word is definition a gentle decay quiet ache that wont go away

A longing for light to brust , in a world gone gray

A tender sorrow that wont fade away.

Define definiton

Is an complex emotion characterize to have trust

But can have regret, longing, or nostalgia

But what would you like to talk about.

Can i have trust?

While I would say today was the most embrassing day of my life, sadly, what has happened to me has become somewhat of a common occurrence. Today, I had a poetry reading. I spent weeks crafting and perfecting this poem. I was knee deep in dictionaries searching for the perfect words to give justice to how euphoric Clive makes me feel. My finished product was an ode to our most intimate moments together. An ode I would recite without shame to a room full of strangers. Sure, Clive was there. But I didn’t mind his presence. It almost comforted me. He might have eased my nerves completely, if the person sat besides him was anyone else on the planet besides Mami. I wish I could say I was shocked to see her. But she’s seemed to make a habit of coming to my readings when I’ve written about more suggestive topics. She has to be doing it on purpose. She sat there next to Clive with a giant smile on her face all night. That same smile was plastered on her face every time I made eye contact with her during the reading. I dont know if it would be worse if I had confirmation she knew the subject about or if she was truly clueless about the topic of my poems.

I felt my heart racing as I stepped onto the stage, clutching my notebook filled with heartfelt poems. The bright lights blinded me momentarily, and i could hear the hushed whispers of the audience. As i began to read my first poem, my voice wavered, and i stumbled over my words. The silence that followed felt deafening, and i could feel my face burning with embarrassment. My hands trembled as i quickly finished reading, wanting nothing more than to disappear from the stage. Tears welled up in my eyes as i made my way back to my seat, feeling exposed and vulnerable. The night of my embarrassing poetry reading would forever be etched in my memory as a moment of profound humiliation and self-doubt. 

 My mom was beside him

I tried looking for you on my spare time

If I had a dime I would buy more time

My love is so kind where does that D hide My legs are so high it almost feels like I died I’m not ready to say goodbye so come say hi And prepared for the tide

let me get on top cause I am ready to ride

So I will ask again where do you hide?

If you don’t mind I’ll be Waiting for his sweet release in my insides

This love no one can beat

This is a type of love that I want to keep

This is the type of love that I want teach on the beach

I wanted to have a seat and listen to the big beat

He wanted to sing while listening to the beat.

But the waves are to deep but he still took that leap

The leap was so big that we both fell asleep

The bed was so cheap that we both been unleashed

To believe There was no time to breathe only time to conceive but that when I leave

because I only wear my heart on my sleeve

When are you going to give me time to breathe?

Mi Amor

Where do you hide?

Do you not have the time?

I was wondering when are you coming by

I wanted to see you before the last tide

I wanted to know if you were ever mine

But I just wasted my time trying get to the last tide I just want to know will everything be fine

When will you see me shine?

You have been so kind

So let me swallow your wine

And come break my spine

My dear Clive Now do you have the time?

Why do you lie

It’s time your wife know about the tide

It’s time to be officially mine

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell you this but I’m going to tell you anyway. As much as I have appreciated the support, I’ve always felt a bit weird about you showing up to my poetry readings. I was often embarrassed and, at some point, even tried to keep my readings a secret. Despite my efforts, you would always show up—front row. How was it that you would find out? 

Anyway, I’m unsure if you’ve noticed—maybe you haven’t—but the poems that I would read were usually dedicated to lovers. They took place in intimate settings and discussed sexual connections, something that you found difficulty believing in for us girls. I have held this in but feel that I should now finally say it, considering how you always speak of my love for poetry and the poetry readings that you used to attend. I never really wanted you to be there. But please don’t feel bad. I’m writing this letter because I simply want you to understand. 

Sincerely, 

Yo 

Love,

Yolanda

I hope this letter finds you well. Queria tener una conversación in how I been feeling lately. I want to Thank you por todo lo que haces por mi and all the interest you put on my stuff. However there is something I should address to you.

Mami, es a bit embarrassing for me when you attend my poetry readings,especialmente when I say my intimate poems that have to do with my personal love life. While I know my poet is a form of way that I get to express myself  honestamente having you there in those momentos makes me feel exposed. It’s not that I feel avergonzada of what I write and my experiences, pero I prefer set a boundary between me and you that we do not cross when it comes to my personal life.

I cherish the relationship me and you have, and I want you to know that todo el support that you give me means a lot to me. However I hope you can understand my point of view. Me and you can always find something me and you can share as mother and daughter something that will make both of us feel comfortable.

Gracias for always being there para mi when I need you the most.

con amor,

YOLANDA