Mourning a Sister’s Death

By Irene Blea Illustrated by andrea ortega

When your sisters dies do you say she was or is

my sister he is or was my sister’s child

Erlinda, saying your name sounds rough like the life you lived:

You led street gangs

Smoked

You’ve left childrenrough and lost like you

Scattered children

Like you were scattered-

No one wants them, has time for them

like they didn’t want or have time for you

“what will happen to her children,what happened to erlinda,”

mourners asked

She died an alcoholic

Displaced from rural birthand transplanted in a gringo world-

Once beautiful

She died amongst the junkies

Pimps and whoresof the asphalt city

This poem is about a women who is hurt because her sister died young and lived a hard life. Also she left her children lost and on their own and now no one wants them nor

cares for them.

The theme in this poem is depressing because the author is

implying that most youth are at risk of living a life that could only end up

in death.

The imagery in this poem is “she died amongst the junkies pimps and

whores of the asphalt city”. The effect it has on the reader is

although you cant see it physical you can imagine seeing someone living such a terrible life that the

streets is their home.

A metaphor in Mourning a Sister’s Death is “caught in a gringo world-” which is saying a Mexican American don’t belong in a world full of white

people.

The tone is sad/hurt because the author says “saying you name

sounds rough like the life you lived..” which is also saying that her sister lived a hard life and by saying her name it reminds her of the the loss

of her sister.

I liked this poem because it tells the truth and many people can relate to it. Although I haven’t lost one of my sisters, I know how hard it is to lose someone so close to you, especially

if they die young.