She smelled of Abuelita hot chocolate 

Rich and dark and spiced with cinnamon 

Always took up more than her fair share of room 

Hips swaying back and forth like they were playing tag with the wind 

Humming like a chime on your grandmothers porch 

She was peach tea and nectarines under a Havana sun in a hammock hung from palm trees 

Curves smooth like the slide of hand your auntie use to give you cake before diner time

Sweet and thick and heavy

Her whole body was scared in brail so it didn’t take much light to read her story

Bursting at the seams she always was  

Larger than life she would become   

Symphonic was the way she rolled her tongue and clicked in cursive 

Always with her neck cocked to the side or with a sly smile

Like she knew something about your secrets

She is the love of my life 

With her mamas cheek bones and her daddy’s eyes  

So when she smiled it was an open invitation to dream on somethin’

To fly like maximum ride

The way my brother did when books were his jet turbines  

How she walked on air when she finally arrived

Said I’m showing up

Because life is a party and its mine  

This is my self-portrait poem

An appreciation for the only me I have 

A calling to the Queen in me

To the God in me

When I meet God I hope she looks like me  

I’m done with apologizing about dancing in the sun

I’m over writing love poems for everyone else  

This one is for me 

An anthem to m awesome if you will

A reminder to never let anyone love me more than I love myself