Poetry Archive

Amamantar

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash
"Mamá" vive adentro de "amamantar"
la palabra un sustantivo y un verbo a la vez

algo que solo la madre puede hacer
para su hijo, darle de su cuerpo

alimentación única y natural
esencial para vivir y crecer

darle de su mente y energía
atención y dedicación

y de su corazón fluye un cariño
como un rio y se traduce

en la fuente blanca y eterna
que sale de sus senos

una extensión del amor y cuidado
de cuando vivía dentro de ella.

Pero esta labor materna
no se aprende a solas.

Se requiere de la experiencia
de una madre ya hecha

transformada por el acto
de ser un cauce para sus hijos

alguien que ha sentido en sí misma
el deseo profundo de alimentar 

de la manera más íntima
aunado con el deseo de hacerlo

y que con sabiduría y fortaleza
decidió sacar a su hija adelante

lista para compartir su conocimiento
derramándolo gota por gota.

Y por ésto se encuentra
mi querida madre junto a mí 

acompañándome y ayudándome
a no ahogarme en los mares mamarios

asegurándose de que mi bebé esté bien prendido
moviendo mi seno y su boquita

enseñándome a extraer la leche
manualmente por primera vez

masajeando y apretando mi piel
hasta lograr gotitas y chisguetes

quedándose despierta, bebé en
brazos, dejándome descansar

preparándome para otro día
de dar pecho cada tres horas.

Mientras mi bebé me devora
y me deja vacía de leche y sueño

mi madre me renueva con su compañía
su constante atención y apoyo

me vuelvo otra vez la hija que 
necesita su cariño y amor

y ella se vuelve a dedicar a atenderme
con un abrazo o una cena recién hecha

o simplemente con quedarse con mi hijo
para que salga de mi casa y respire hondo

que me acuerde de quien era antes de
adoptar este nuevo papel de madre

antes de volver a inundarme en el océano
de emoción con este niño tan hermoso.




To Breastfeed

The essence of “mom” lives inside “breastfeeding”
a word simultaneously noun and verb

something only the mother can do
for her child, give him her body

special and natural nourishment
essential for living and growing

give him her mind and energy
attention and dedication

and from her heart flows a love
like a river and it translates into

a white and infinite spring
that streams from her breasts

an extension of the love and care
when he lived inside her.

But you do not learn this maternal labor
all by yourself.

The experience is needed of
a mother already made

transformed by the act
of being a conduit for her children

someone who has felt within herself
the inner call to feed

in the most intimate way
combined with the will to do it

and that with wisdom and fortitude
chose to help her daughter get ahead

ready to share her knowledge
pouring it out drop by drop.

And this is how my mother
arrives at my side

accompanying me, helping me
not to drown in these swirling motherly seas

making sure that my latch is right
moving my breast and my baby’s mouth

teaching me to manually express
my milk for the first time

massaging and tightening my skin
until drops, then squirts emerge

staying awake, my baby
in her arms, letting me sleep

so I can prepare myself for another day
of nursing every three hours or so.

While my baby devours me
and empties me of milk and energy

my mom replenishes me with her company
with her constant attention and support

I become her young daughter once more
needing her love and care

and she dedicates herself to tending me again
with a hug or a homemade meal

or simply by staying with my son
so I can leave my house and take a deep breath

so I can remember who I was before
taking on this new role of mother

before diving back into this ocean of
emotion with this precious little boy.

 

 



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Filed under: Poetry Archive

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Eloísa Pérez-Lozano writes poems and essays about Mexican-American identity, motherhood, and women’s issues. She graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in psychology and an M.S. in journalism and mass communications. A 2016 Sundress Publications Best of the Net nominee, her work has been featured in The Texas Observer, Houston Chronicle, and Poets Reading the News, among others. She lives with her family in Houston, Texas.