Calabacitas

By Micaela Dalzell

Remember your culture

keep it close like

the passed down recipe

from great-grandma Maria

hold it tightly against

your chest, imprint it

into your mind

place oil and garlic

into the pan

two cups of corn

and tomatoes,

cover and simmer.

while you wait,

hold her daughter’s hand.

See how loose skin

pulled back over frail bones

yellow like Mexican squash,

fits into yours

add zucchini and onion,

stir occasionally.

reminisce over Grandpa Rudy’s

1978 Camaro,

the Downey house on Firestone,

and menudo on Sunday

mornings after church

memorize every line on her face

and read the story of her life,

measured at

6 kids, 13 grandchildren

40 years of marriage

mix in cheese,

serve.

Micaela recently received her BA in creative writing from Cal State Long Beach; she is a practicing poet who mixes narrative with imagist style. Her writing spans across a number of disciplines including: creative writing, journalism, and marketing. As a creative writer, Micaela has volunteered as a poetry instructor for underserved youth at a local creative arts camp, performed at open mics and readings, and workshopped with many thoughtful writers. She believes poetry and prose have worked as a sort of therapy in her life, offering a healing like no other. This will be her first featured piece; she looks forward to more future publications. Micaela hopes to pursue an MFA in creative writing and become a college professor in the future.

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