Juliaca 2023 - Poem

Submitted by Adriana García
Published on December 14, 2023

By Adriana Garcia Saldivar

In January 2023 there were a series of protests in Peru against the government of Dina Boluarte, happening with more force in the southern regions. In Juliaca (Puno) state forces victimized 18 people, many of them young people, in a display of racism and abuse of power. This city is characterized by having a very cold climate, its streets are mostly not paved, drinking water and sanitation services are needed; and like many areas of Peru, they lack quality basic services. In this context, a young woman was giving birth during a massacre, having to face the precariousness of the health service, obstetric violence and state terrorism.

The poem begins from the perspective of the researcher who is in charge of a focus group of young women in Juliaca, applying this methodology as part of an investigation to understand subjective well-being. Throughout the poem the researcher narrates her own reflections from beginning to end, describing what she hears and observes, the changes in herself and in the group, all while they eat lunch in an increasingly welcoming and safe space.

Juliaca 2023

Las chicas saltan las bolsas de basura,
se sacuden del frio y de los muros altisonantes,
de cada esquina y de sus vueltas sin asfaltar.
Adentro, pasen

Si abro la ventana huele a gas lacrimógeno, todavía,
y huele a leche, yogurt y shampoo.
Ellas van formando un cerco,
apretadas y bajitas,
ellas y Juliaca
como un cintillo apretando,
sí, es un cerco humano,
sí hay café, si hay

Una cabecita sin pelos, una mandarina,
voltea y babea sobre su madre
Ah, la leche y el shampoo,
sostengo y paso,
me siento y trago

Juliaca 2023

Ella me dijo que cargaba a dos,
no un herido,
pero si iba a cuestas y sangrando,
subiendo y bajando
entre gases, casquilllos y miedo,
ella también marchaba

Todas las rutas para llegar al hospital
y toda la gente corriendo hacia allá,
apretando el mar humano, asfixiando.
Entre el ácido no hay sala de parto,
pero le brotó del pecho y del vientre
rojos y blancos, respirando.

Sin paro es lo mismo dice
igual los gritos, igual te hacen llorar
Borboteamos
...
La misma ciudad,
de calma tétrica,
de bullicio alarmante,
de un silencio inquietante,
El paro, el paro, el parto

Esa noche, todos murieron esa noche,
pero aquí están,
la mandarina y el shampoo,
la leche y el yogurt

El cerco es más cálido y pequeño, todas se pegan más,
se trenzan los brazos, el cuerpo
Juliaca 2023
y una ronda más de café.


This is a sample Gallery entry as it is waiting to be translated in English. An updated version will be available at a later date.

Funded by
university of arizona
Purnima Madhivanan's Start-up funds from the University of Arizona
arizona commission on the arts
Artist Opportunity Grant provided to Lisa Labita Woodson
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