the Cuban bread/the crackers/el
cafe/ the crumbs/and the place-
mats/the open door/ la reja/the
gate/la llave/the key/the cigar/ the
smoke/los numeritos/the days
numbered/todo esto/all of this/ los
papelitos/the little papers/& all the
little reminders/aqui/awakened
with love/alive todo de
recuerdos/nunca los olvido.
Charisel Parla is a bilingual Cuban-American poet and educator. Her poetry explores the nuances and intersections of memory, grief, heritage, addiction, and identity. A native of Miami, FL, Charisel earned her MFA in Creative Writing from The University of San Francisco, and currently resides in Oakland, CA where she works with recently arrived immigrant youth.
