I am from tomatoes
from tall mountains
and Alouette and Pitt rivers
I am from metal pans,
versatile, tough
Smoky
From stay in the cool shade
From Pancho
and Bill
From eucalyptus
and blackberries
I am from the tortilla press
smashing, shaping
Corn
Cedar
and Rosca de Reyes with Fruit punch
Hello, my name is David (he/they), I am a third year student here at UBC, majoring in Latin American Studies and Linguistics. I would describe myself as having an amicable and affable, studious and quiet character, but I have been called sardonic and naïve by others in my life. I am taking LAST315, as I am hoping to major in Latin American studies because of my personal background as a dual Mexican-Canadian citizen, and I love learning and talking about new topics related to Latin America. I am looking forward to this semester, as I have both less and more time this semester compared to previous ones, and I am excited for new opportunities. Some of my non-academic pursuits include, woodworking, arts and crafts, musicals and opera and enjoying new foods!
I look forward to learning more about Latin America and Maize with you all.
Your poem is so fragrant! I appreciate how you brought all the senses into your piece. And the alliteration on ‘t’ and ‘p’ throughout really binds the verses together. I especially love that “tortilla press” starts your last stanza and brings those two consonants together in such a pertinent image. This was a lovely read, David. Thanks for sharing!
Needless to say (but I’ll say it!), I’m thrilled to have you in another course!
Hi David, the action verbs in the third stanza “smashing, shaping”, really depict how the tortilla press works (haven’t seen it yet, made me interested). The metal pan from the first stanza is another kitchen tool, that may indicate that food has a high status in your family. “Versatile” gives me the sense of usefulness of each tool from everyday life. Love all the food and drinks in your poem.