SPRING

"Even orchids belong in Paradise..."
*From The Clarifier altar space, created by 
citizens and artists in Lyons, Colorado, after
a huge flood that destroyed over 200 homes-
I found these words etched in stained glass.

You arrive newly
Born and so ancient,
You dazzle me with
Fertility and wisdom,
New life, the dead
Risen to dance, make
Love again, fragile
Fern, ripening roots, 
Brittle bones, the Sprit rises
To meet each unknown
Beauty, your cloak
Grazing earth releases,
Each newborn ancient
Step listen 
Song First
Spring,
She begins to
Sing, orchid laughter,
Do you 
Remember the
First song
Ever sung
When we were
Orchids that
Spring? 


Alma Luz Villanueva
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
March 20, 2018
FELIZ PRIMAVERA 

KARMA
*To George Zimmerman, who sold the gun that murdered Trayvon Martin at a high price, as karma has a high price.

The life you took, 
I send it back to 
you, his high school
prom, dreams of

university, travel,
lovers, wife, all of
his children, all of
his laughter/joy,

his grief/tears,
the son he was,
the father, grandfather,
he would become,

you, George Zimmerman,
took his hummingbirds,
eagles, orange blossoms
the rose, dolphins,

African lions, wild
wolves, snow leopards,
you took summer,
fall winter, his

17 year old spring,
and I send him 
back to you, what
you took, what

you took, what
you took, what
you took, for
ever. 


In memory, Trayvon Martin, his family-
May 16, 2016

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)

La Bloga: Guest Columns for a November Saturday: Texas Book Fest. Reviewing Gracias by Villanueva.

La Bloga: Guest Columns for a November Saturday: Texas Book Fest. Reviewing Gracias by Villanueva.

WE PASS IT ON

"Our fundamental state is joy." El Buddha

I trust my hungers, my
body's voice, purring
howling singing weeping
laughing, I follow
her wisdom, she's always 
right, mi Mamacita
called her La Llorona,
she's also Coatlicue,
IxChel, Quan Yin,
Green Tara, White
Tara, Shakti, Kali,
sweet/fierce Saraswati,
who I met in Bali,
she asked me, "What is
freedom, madam?"
The freedom of my
hungers, to be fed
beautiful food, float in
healing waters, bathe my
mermaid hair, human
body, to be loved
unconditionally this
undying Cosmos, to
dream... in spite

of wars, ongoing violence,
the innocent killed while
eating dinner, dancing at a
concert in Paris,
going to market, daily
human errands in
Beirut (and other places, the
Earth we share)- I

believe the killers are in
the minority, we who love
our hungers, laughter of
children, rising Sun Moon
Stars, who feed our
human hungers to love,
stubbornly/joyfully
dance our
freedom, always
with the other,
we pass it on
this dance
we pass it on 

we shall 
inherit
this wonder
Earth.  


Alma Luz Villanueva (c)
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
November 13, 2015

*I started writing this poem on November 11th, 
couldn't finish it for 'some reason'- until the 13th. 
We pass it on...

The Healer, in all her hummingbird forms...
 

Dear World,
Dear IxChel,
Dear Quetzalcoatl,                      October 23, 2015

We are becoming a
world of refugees,
immigrants, following the
ancient human trade

routes, not guided by
dreams this time, but
guided by poverty, war,
simple hunger, the

fierce desire that our
children survive us,
we follow that fierce
instinct over man made

borders, Madre Africa,
our Human Womb, dreams
her children in drought,
flood, tidal wave, hunger, 

war. See that Mexican
mother, baby in her arms,
older children surrounding
her, she is your

mother. See that Syrian
father, clutching his toddler,
wife lost at sea, he
is your father. See

that Congolese grandmother
starving, tortured, her
sons gone to war, rape,
she is your grandmother.

See that Guatemalan
grandfather weeping, watching
his 12 year old granddaughter
raped, los coyotes,

journey to the USA, safety,
land of daily food, he
is your grandfather.
See the five year old trying

to sleep with hunger, Land
Of Plenty USA, one in four
children hungry, she
is your child.

See the teens at Rikers
Island thousands, millions
in adult prisons USA,
at Rikers their once a day

outdoors, hour at 
dawn, rain, sun, snow,
in a cage, shackled,
solitary for months,

the teenage brain/mind/spirit,
the time of unfolding,
crushed, human promise
murdered, these are your

teens, these are your
teens, these are your
teens, these are our
teens, murdered promise.

See us all fiercely crossing
borders, the ancient 
human trade routes,
survival. Wherever

you are
welcome
your family
home. 

**The USA has the largest, for profit,
prison system in the world. At Rikers Island
the majority of teens are held for years, waiting 
for a 'court date,' as families cannot post their
bail.  Google Kalief Browder, who refused to 
plead guilty- the usual way out of Rikers- he 
refused, that immense courage. 

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
(My 'Dear World' poems are in their
20th year, where I bitch, moan, praise.)
They can be found in my books, most 
recently, 'GRACIAS.' 
www.almaluzvillanueva.com

La Frida Kahlo's VIVA LA VIDA...

Mexico City, bike taxi...then to Frida's casita, where her Spirit lives, her laughter.

  

QUERIDO POPOCATEPTL

The villagers call you 
father, brother, uncle, son-
I call you lover, my
ancient lover- flying in
to Mexico City I saw
your snowy peak, you
didn't fool me, I felt
the heat of your body,
your lava, your core,
your longing for my
touch, ancient lover,
the Earth danced beneath 
my feet, our Mother, la
Madre, she knew nothing
could keep me from you,
your body, your lava,
your core, the ancient
memory of our union.
I dream your body, gift from Earth,
Sun, Moon, every Star, I see
your molten eyes, your molten mouth,
your molten hands, your molten sex, lava
bright, meteor bright, first eruption,
genesis of our longing, I am coming,
wait for me, I am dreaming,
wait for me, I am singing,
wait for me, I am dying
to receive. Your burning
body. Lava. 

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
April 2012

*Two weeks after la Madre's dance, Popocateptl began to sing to his lover, Iztaccihuatl, fire and ash.

This poema is from my just published book, 'GRACIAS,' which can be found on www.amazon.com   Just enter my name and all of my books pop up- also, my 4th novel, 'SONG OF THE GOLDEN SCORPION,' published last year is also listed. I love the personal emails I receive, but feel free to comment here as well- wishing you a beautiful Spring wherever you are.

THE WORLD IS FULL OF SIGNS

"The stars are like letters that inscribe
themselves at every moment in the sky.
Everything in this world is full of signs.
All events are coordinated. All things 
depend on each other. Everything 
breathes together."  Greek philosopher, Plotinus

THE WORLD IS FULL OF SIGNS

"I can't breathe,
I can't breathe,
I can't breathe,
I can't breathe,"

Eric Garner's last
breath, words,
words, breath,
father, husband, son

no longer breathes
no longer breathes
no longer breathes
or speaks or laughs

or calls his children's
names or sings his
favorite songs in the 
shower, or speaks

softly to his wife
or laughs with her
or argues with her,
his breath is gone,

his words are gone,
his mother's memory,
first breath,
first words,

yes, everything breathes
together, all things depend on
each other, all events are 
coordinated, everything in the

world is full of signs,
and we can't breathe,
we can't breathe, we
can't breathe, we

can't breathe
freely, the stars are like
letters that inscribe themselves
at every moment in the sky,

we can't breathe
freely, we can't,
everything, every thing
breathes, yes, breathes

together.


Eric Garner murdered in an illegal
chokehold, July 12, 2014. 
**Mike Brown, 18- Tamir Rice, 12- 
Trayvon Martin, 17...all unarmed

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
December 2014
Everything breathes together...

 

HANDS

I've arrived, the peak
of my life, so many
hands have carried me
here, loving hands,

brutal hands,
soothing hands,
stinging hands,
healing hands,

the hands that caught
my four children emerging
from my pulsing vulva,
the hands that sang

to every inch of my
body, the hands I
shielded myself from,
fought back,

my warrior hands,
my mother hands,
my lover hands,
my daily hands,

these blessed hands
that care for me
without question,
without reward,

these hands that
love me,
these hands that
feed me,

these hands that
bathe me,
these hands that
dream me whole

nightly, daily,
I kiss each
hand, left and
right, these

hands that guide
my way into this
wondrous world, this
terrible world, this

loving world, this
killing world, this
exquisite world of
so many 

hands, this
moment I
kiss each
one.

*On tripping, hair line fracture, 
my precious right hand I'm 
writing this poem with, my 
fingers taped together, still 
able to move, write, type for
short periods but getting better.
And on turning 7+0... esta vida.

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

GRACIAS for the private emails, 
feel free to post here, add a poem
if la spirit moves you. Now, pause
to kiss both of your beloved hands.

Below photo, giving La Finger in the best, most loving way- Barcelona, 10/14...Vampire Girl behind me made me do it.

SCAFFOLDS OF (YOUR) VISION

Gracias, Gaudi,
your dreams,
your vision,
your vow

of poverty
to create
such richness,
the humble greatness

of your Spirit
flows, pierces
all humanity,
all gods, goddesses,

all names,
same source,
Great Spirit,
all mountains,

forests, creeks, rivers,
sacred lakes,
sacred seas,
sacred trees

breathing air,
bearing fruit,
sacred fields,
our Mother's body

feeds us, you, us,
marries Earth/Sky,
Sun/Moon,
Winter/Spring,

love/hate/love
dreaming us, Her
Womb, this 
sacred beauty

you created 
for us, I
hear your
sweet laughter,

your life
well spent
in riches,
fever of

dreams, voice,
song, your
daily heart,
young men

still climb the
scaffolds of
your vision,
laughing as

they build
your dream,
sacred sunlight,
well muscled,

pregnant women,
running children, 
those in wheel
chairs, we

enter your
sunlight stained
glass rainbow
dream womb

Earth Sky
dream, I hear
your daily heart
alive, undying,

your sweet 
laughter, tears,
surprise, last
breath, the streets,

metal trolley, your body,
dead, dream, daily heart
undying laughter/vision/light,
gracias, Gaudi. Gracias. 

Barcelona, Spain...October 2014
Alma Luz Villanueva (c)

WISDOM

A child was sliced in
half in Palestine, I
saw the photo, wondering 
if he could be put back

together, I wanted more
than anything to put 
him back together, his
four year old head, torso,

his still baby-like 
legs, bare feet, curled
as though to spring to
life, laughing at any

moment, the bloody
torso, the bloody
baby-like legs, bare
feet, his mother will

not ever hear the sweet
ring of his laughter,
from four to manhood,
his bitter tears unshed-

a child was sliced in
half in Palestine today,
among so many children,
the wisdom of Solomon

could not save him, no
love strong enough to 
say, yell, scream, "Here,
take him, let him

live, let him live whole,
intact, alive, do not
slice my beloved child
in half, let him

live!" Wisdom. 

To the children in Palestine,
the children crossing the USA
borders alone, being returned to
danger. Into the Sixth Sun...

Alma Luz Villanueva (c)  August 2014

CHILD

Child of the ancestors,

Goddess, Gods,

queens and kings,

child of dreaming,

myth, wisdom,

pyramids, stone by

stone,

child of visionary

poet kings,

Sor Juana,

child of storytellers

and singers, Octavio

Paz, Rosario Castellanos,

child of perfect

beauty, Frida Kahlo, 

Diego Rivera, on the

500 peso bill,

child of Quetzalcoatl

and Xochiquetzal, la

madre Coatlique, 

great IxChel,

child of Sun and

Moon, every Star,

born to Earth/Sky,

child in tattered clothing,

worn, dirty shoes,

toes exposed, trying to

sell a useless

coupon,

the shiny, abundant

super market, the

blonde woman shakes

her head in disgust,

you beg, eyes

pleading,

hunger, comfort, bath,

clean clothes, some

safety, even love, a

hawk-eyed teen

watches you,

bullies you,

not to stop

begging, pleading,

your useless

coupon,

your brown

dirty hand, 

child of the ancestors, 

would the great poet

king, Nezahualcoyotl,

sing a poem to

you, child of 

despair and

hunger, filth,

your eyes still

shadowed with 

innocence.

                                                         

 Alma Luz Villanueva (c)

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

May 2014

                                       

UNCONQUERED

I eat breakfast
and watch Moctezuma's
throat be slashed, the
conquest unfold,

Sor Juana at the 
top/edge, encircled in
violet, her poet's
heart on fire, La

Virgen carried on a 
banner, Coatlique in
disguise, her skulls
hidden under her

gentle dress, a 
woman giving birth
with great IxChel's
help, as all women

are, umbilical cord
dangling from vagina,
child alive, survivor of
the conquest, I am

a survivor of the 
conquest, a wild
mestiza child, my
poet's heart on 

fire, I am the 
dreamer, one of 
thousands, Moctezuma
slaughtered, terrified of

our dreams, our visions,
now I sit, centuries
later, my dreams,
visions, memory,

intact- I see the
Great Books burning, 
I weep, this I know,
dreams can't be

burned, I see
Sor Juana's 
poet's heart on
fire,

as the woman's 
vagina burns with
birth, IxChel singing,
"Dreamers, you have

survived, each century
your voices stronger,
sweeter, your poet's heart
unconquered, dream

new words,
new stories,
new Great Books, on
fire." 


To Sor Juana's heart

*Written at Instituto Allende, San Miguel de Allende,
Mexico, while gazing at the magnificent mural of
Mexico's his/herstory, on fire, unconquered. 
March 2014

Alma Luz Villanueva
(c) copyright, 2014 

BRIDE

Death paused

for me, I ran

across the

slender, cobbled

street, mourners

behind black

hearse, all

walking to the

graveyard, they

will make the

grave so beautiful,

flowers, favorite

things, bottle of

tequila perhaps, they

know their beloved

dead, their ancestors,

it will be so

beautiful, they

will return Dia de

Los Muertos to weep,

laugh, share

their family

feast, remember 

this life.

        *        *        *

I arrive for breakfast,

courtyard fountain, mural

of Mexico to gaze at, a 

child still connected to

her mother's vagina, cord

not cut, just born, her

ecstatic body- teens

carry stacked chairs on

their backs, hauling huge

tables, velvet sofas, into

the courtyard, men create a

dance floor, women scatter

candles everywhere, fire,

joy for the wedding, fire,

joy tonight, the wedding-

an older woman calmly fills

each tier of the central

fountain with paradise,

armloads of paradise,

rainbows of paradise,

the scent of paradise

reaches me, a wise

hummingbird pauses to

sip paradise, her

rainbow body blinds

me with fire, with

joy, every human

moment becomes

married within me,

death/transformation,

birth/transformation,

wedding/transformation,

my white-light

blinding umbilical

cord still

connected to

La Madre Cosmica,

I am her daughter,

I am her human,

I am her bride. 

                                         San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

                                              October 2013, My birth day...

SONG OF THE GOLDEN SCORPION, novel | Alma Luz Villanueva | Blog Post | Red Room

SONG OF THE GOLDEN SCORPION, novel | Alma Luz Villanueva | Blog Post | Red Room

My new novel, 'SONG OF THE GOLDEN SCORPION,' is now available- for more info please go to my publisher's site, here's the link www.wingspress.com/book.cfm?book_ID=163  *It looks like you must paste this address- another way is to go directly to www.wingspress.com and click on Authors, my name....but the link is faster. Also, my new book of poetry, 'GRACIAS,' will also be available in November, same wonderful publisher and site, gracias. 
In the streets of Mexico, where I live, vendors selling delicious ice creams, roasted corn, freshly made tamales, bouquets of yellow squash blossoms- my favorite couple in their 80s leading their burro loaded with rainbows of vegetables/flowers spraying out like a halo- everyone comes singing and shouting their offerings by mi casita- this is me singing and shouting with so much JOY...

**The first two photos are of the wonderful native dancers that arrive from all over Mexico (as well as the ones who live here), taking over the zocalo in San Miguel de Allende. The 3rd is me at Quetzalcoatl's Temple, Teotihuacan, Pyramid of the Sixth Sun.