translated from the Spanish by Rosa Alcalá
Leave the womb
Leave the fear
Leave the nest
Hit the road
Hightail it
Head the hell out
Live hidden
Without a sound
Not seen
Nor heard
Be not
From this earth
But from nothing.
Ex nada
Salir del vientre
Salir del miedo
Salir del nido
Arrancar
Apretar cueva
A toda raja
Vivir escondida
Sin ser oída
Ni vista
Ni oída
No ser
De la tierra
Si no de la nada.
Copyright © 2026 by Cecilia Vicuña, translated by Rosa Alcalá. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on July 23, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets.
