I wrote this postcard poem during my week at the Writers League of Texas retreat in Alpine, Texas at the Sul Russ State University. In the past, i have always been intrigued by poetry but lacked the guts to try it out at a higher level. The outcome was a life-changing experience and opened the doors to a life in poetry thanks to my teacher and poet Scott Wiggerman. The inspiration came from a postcard i bought at New York’s MoMA of Andrew Wyeth’s 1948 painting titled Christina’s World.
Christina’s World
There is more solitude here than expected,
even the wind has gone away.
In the empty house, I hear your footsteps
but you are not here, my mind is astray.
The green grass is fading into an ochre field,
the gray sky mingles with my blurred thoughts
of anguish and desire. I yearn for you, my love.
That pink dress you gave me
fades each day you are not here.
This vast confinement chokes me
Oh how I long for you, my dear.
nydia o. tapia – gonzales
July 2016
Cactus in the Mirror 