Coraima Meza

February 14,2021
English 1A
Professor Ramirez

Journal 1

After hearing the poem “Mi Viejito” by Yosimar Reyes it reminded me a lot about both
of my parents, how my mom and dad would tell me stories about Mexico. My dad unfortunately
passed in 2013 but I am grateful to still have my mom. Knowing that his grandpa is a strong man
and he even carried Yosimar on his back over to the US is courageous. Not a lot of men like that
exist nowadays.The struggles and the thought that his grandpa misses Mexico hits a home run
with me. My mom for example I know she misses Mexico so much she always talks about her
return. This gets me sad because I would love to fix her papers but the fact that it cost a good
amount of money and knowing that we don’t have it upsets me. My mom misses her land and I
can see it in her eyes just like Yosimar’s grandpa misses his land too. Throughout the poem you
can feel the love and care Yosimar expresses for his grandfather. I feel that all of us in a way
have that same love for some of our elders. I can’t relate to having a granddaughter and
grandfather relationship like the one Yosimar has, I never had my grandpa around and the time I
did the only memories I have of him are him yelling at me, hitting me, and always having the
feeling he didn’t like me. Even though at the time of his visit I was an 8 year old that is the vibe
he had always given me. Now that he’s gone I still get that vibe and I tell my mom about it, she
just says that I am crazy. The way he expresses how his grandpa plays music and he knows he is
sad. This part of the poem brings me back memories when my dad would play Los Bukis full
blast. Chiquilla Bonita is the song that hits me more in my heart. When I was younger and during
the time my dad was sick I was up to no good hanging around the wrong crowd, I guess all the
times I would end up doing time in juvenile hall he would sit down on his favorite couch and
play that song on repeat just because it reminded him of me. Hearing this poem brought me back
good, bad, and sad memories other than that I really enjoyed Yosimar’s poem a bunch.