This portrait of the illustrious Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos honors her revolutionary spirit and deep desire for the island's independence. She was a fierce feminist, and particularly inspires me because of her commitment to anti-colonialism and internationalism.
Here is an excerpt of my favorite poems of hers: Yo Misma Fui Mi Ruta (I am my own path)
--Yo quise ser como los hombres quisieron que yo fuese:
un intento de vida;
un juego al escondite con mi ser.
Pero yo estaba hecha de presentes,
y mis pies planos sobre la tierra promisora
no resistían caminar hacia atrás,
y seguían adelante, adelante,
burlando las cenizas para alcanzar el beso
de los senderos nuevos.
I wanted to be like men wanted me to be:
an attempt at life;
a game of hide and seek with my being.
But I was made of nows,
and my feet level on the promissory earth
would not accept walking backwards
and went forward, forward,
mocking the ashes to reach the kiss
of new paths.
