The Ceremony of Birth 

by Angélica M. Yañez


I squat, give you  
warmth
goddess glow
blood to earth
bare bone, birth my soul
womb waters flow
split my hips in two
break to create the seas
you see
nepantla and ollin
our spirit dreams
we be
breathe and beginning  
I rest, and you
my daughter
grant me serenity 


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Angélica M. Yañez is a professor and poet. She holds a PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego. For years she has been the advisor to a spoken word activism group on her college campus. She is a traditional Aztec Dancer that honors the legacies of her Native ancestors. Also, the founder of The Ancestral Teachings Institute, a place for cultural learning and Indigenous wisdom. Angélica can be reached through info@ancestralteach.com.