Perfume

A familiar smell caught my attention

A spritz of a peachy colored bottle filled the room with

Notes of an orange and floral scent

The store was crowded but everything disappeared as the smell of the perfume hit my nose

I reminisce the times my mom held me

And breathe in the sweet scent of the perfume

She likes to a specific type of perfume that isn’t overwhelming

Now every time I smell that perfume 

It reminds me of her

 

Toy

Eighteen years and this piece of fabric stuffed with cotton stuck beside me through it all

She has a tan skin tone and three strands of hair at the front of her face

A pink romper and a matching hat 

It’s the size of my palm and completely worn out

A mal de ojo bracelet was tied to her neck to protect me from

The evil eye

The toy sits at the top of my closet and watched me do it all

Go through elementary

Middle school and High school

She will also see me succeed

We still have many more years to go

As she will be passed down

 

Grandma

As a child everyone would talk about their grandparents 

They’d receive unconditional love from elderly family members 

I always wondered where were mine 

None of them ever visited me as a child

I felt left out no having grandparents to love me

We understand the complications of life as we age

Now I understand why the never visited me

Gave me unconditional love

They couldn’t 

My grandma was miles away from me

In another country

It was 2020 and I was getting ready to buy plane tickets 

Finally visiting my grandma for once

But I couldn’t risk the thought of her getting an unknown virus

So I canceled the flight 

Things happen for a reason I guess

One day I’ll get to know her

When the time is right

 

Park

As I leave my building and head down the streets

I arrive to a secluded area not many people go to

A breeze of cold air hits my face and makes my hair messy

The ground is made of smooth grey tiles 

Water runs through the grassy areas

Walking more into the park there is a highway

The sounds of helicopters 

cars rushing 

The water 

And the river nearby 

Makes this park peaceful

I rollerskate near here to clear my head when times get overwhelming

The park is special to me ever since times have changed

At night the view of the river and buildings is mesmerizing

The moon rises as the day comes to an end