by Carla Nunes-Hernandez (’22)
Imprints of the Past
Perhaps, the impressions made by the sole
Of my feet work as memory for the earth––
Two bodies made of dust and soil
Forging a common ancestor,
Represented by a mystery––the unknown
Particles that recall a time when space,
Aiming for its emptiness
Produced a long lineage of patterns––
Who at blindsight look all too different,
But examined from up close, the veins
And desert-like flesh match wildly
By its discretion––that our histories
Intersect, one way or another, to tell
The stories of how we walked this earth.
Defying the Rules of Memory
Tenderly muted by vibrations––
——The sensation of plastic colors
————Waving in a singular plane
Colors closely connected in space––
——They defy the rules of memory,
————Of a natural window to an utterly new dimension
A symphony for the eye––
——Colors glisten like flames
————The intensity, inducing a painful sensation
Perhaps from the blood rushes of red,
——Or the blue thought of a summer apart,
————Or the yellow screaming for my attention
There, sitting or standing,
——I am brought to a new world.
Detonating Indulgence
I have given myself away
To the invisible indulgence––
That hefty weight that anchors
Down my spine––
——————————————Imposing roots
With fear seated upon my lap––
I cannot allow it to
Pollute
Language
with mystifying truth.
For it is not a lie to feel––
But one can’t deny
That some truths are better
Left alone––
Fermenting
In bodily soil,
And ground-pounding seeds––
Exposed within
The detonating desires
To grow a world within––
“Continue Stanza”
And compound evidence
Of mass grown
Between words
And poetry.
Carla Núñez-Hernández (’22)
I think of myself in multiples. I am an educator, artist, and art historian, refusing to limit myself to one way of thinking, making, or sharing and teaching what I have learned about myself and the convoluted world around me. But ultimately, one common thread that drives my interest is thinking about the creative process, what pushes us to make things for the sake of creation or unleashing our inner psyche. What is interesting about creating is the nuances the materials we use already seem to carry or possess. Nothing in this world is meaningless. Instead, everything seems to be weighted by meaning and purpose. Even words in poetry, which appear light and abstract and only acquire mass when paired with paper or sound, carry so much weight, enough to bring people down or uplift them. I have been reading poetry for a long time, but I have only recently pursued it as a practice as I continue exploring my question of creativity. And so, I aim to take on this opportunity by sharing three poems I have written on the side with an accompanying illustration––a practice I have pursued in the past.
Carla is an artist, art historian, and educator currently based in Massachusetts. She received her Master of Arts in the Humanities from the University of Chicago, where she focused on Latin American and Caribbean modern and contemporary art and curatorial studies. Her poems “Imprints of the Past,” “Defying the Rules of Memory,” and “Detonating Indulgence” meditate on our inherent and inevitable belonging on earth, even beyond the limitations of our human condition. Each poem reminds readers of the incomprehensible patterns and coincidences that weave our existence into this world and influence our creative nature.