•  
  •  
 

Article Title

Coqui

Author Bio

Alessandro Zanghi is an Architectural Thesis student from Mount Kisco, NY, who comes from a Sicilian/Puerto Rican/Ecuadorian household. He not only writes poetry, but is also involved in a variety of artistic mediums, including clothing design, photography, film, music and various forms of visual art. His work tends to explore race, interpersonal relationships, environmental sustainability, and the reuse and repurposing of discarded objects.

Type of Submission

Creative Submission

Abstract

I'm writing about this night I had an asthma attack back home over winter break. I awoke in the middle of the night unable to breathe so I went to my bathroom to sit in the shower and breathe in the humid air to help open up my lungs. While I was sitting there the humidity and water reminded me of Puerto Rico (Borinquen in Taino) and my memories of the island and thoughts of my ancestral connection to the land gave me comfort. The idea that I could travel there just by simply turning on the faucet and sitting in the humidity felt magical to me in that moment. By the time morning came around my lungs had opened back up and I went to sit outside on the steps of my house and watch my neighbors start their day and leave for work. In that moment I was reflecting on my experience that night and how in a time of fear and pain, my cultural heritage and ancestry had helped me through it. I would always have the strength of my culture and the perseverance of the Puerto Rican people to remind myself that that strength is within me as well.

Download

Share

COinS