Samaúma

In "Samaúma", I kneel not before something divine, but before human existence-the facets of human nature we all carry. The poem explores a dynamic of confrontation and powerlessness, where my own being reveals itself as an opportunistic vine, attempting to choke the samaúma, a towering tree symbolizing something vast and untouchable. There are no villains here; it's a struggle between something small and self-seeking against an ancient, unyielding force. The samaúma stands as an ancestral strength, while I find myself vulnerable-a shrunken soul before its grandeur, even as I attempt to rationalize and reshape what's beyond my control.

This poem captures my struggle between my tropical origins and the new reality around me. I search for comfort and familiarity, longing for a sense of home. Being too tropical for this place and its people, I constantly seek to belong and be understood, yet I find it challenging to adapt. And so, I struggle-over and over again. I am capable of mimicking, like the samaúma does, but that will never change the fact that my veins are tropical.