I came to realize what a mouthful was in this city.
GUGA BY JANCELLY PINEDA 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 135 PREVIEW
“I want to be a mouthful,” this man named Guga said to me.
I did not understand him.
But as I walked the streets of Pelourinho
I came to realize what a mouthful was in this city.
To be standing in the historic center of Salvador de Bahia
& staring at a large print of our beloved Michael Jackson
Was indeed quite the mouthful.
The vibrant colors and cobblestones
Stimulated all my senses to a point of non-existence,
In Brazil’s first capital of 1549, built on sugar & the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Guga, gentle, sweet, & curious young man,
Exploring his back yard,
Had much to show this New York Bronxite.
MJ, drums & Capoeira dancers,
& the iconic & sacred food baianas acaraje, the captivating culture of Afro-Brazil.
What a mouthful that was,
that place.
JANCELLY PINEDA
I bring together my poems and photographs to explore the emotional and personal layers of everyday life. No-one can tell our stories better than ourselves. Journals, diaries, chapbooks, online threads, and forums will serve as archives for tomorrow’s societies to see how life was in the 21st century. In a world such as the one we live in today, writing is essential. With the many changes that we are witnessing, to not write is to do a disservice to tomorrow’s humanity.