It should be this way…

Against all negative thoughts pinching me
Against the sky pouring sorrow on me
I start walking, falling down, standing up, falling again, and reflecting
Against lies and bad intentions
Against betrayal burning my hearty soul
I start paddling in a river that gets darker and darker
And I just keep paddling until I see the light
I’m awake now…new again!
Reinventing myself and learning more than ever
Against the non-believers trying to knock me down
I hear myself breathing and I know I exist
Against any obstacle encountered
I’m here to say that it should be this way…never backing down

Adventurer Spirit

Once I dreamt of never having to live the life everybody else wanted to live.
Once I dreamt I could be an orchestra conductor, an extraordinary singer, a great teacher, a soulful writer…
Once I dreamt of never having to live under the rules others wanted to impose on me.
Once I dreamt of flying solo because no matter how much you get to love someone else,
There is nothing like discovering your true self and loving it.
Once I dreamt of climbing mountains and feeling the melody of the ancestral wind telling me stories I had never heard before.
Once I dreamt of seeing old castles and streets and let my heart feel their history.
Once I dreamt of dancing salsa while hearing a Cuban band playing.
Once I dreamt of another adventurer waving and me waving back.
Once I dreamt of speaking in many different languages and understanding other beautiful people.
Once I dreamt of going to the opera and falling in love with the atmosphere.
Once I dreamt of losing myself in a river…paddling to survive and then laughing out loud because I did paddle against all odds.
Once I dreamt of falling in love with people who were so different from me, but with whom I had an extraordinary connection.
Once I dreamt of walking through intricate forests where I could hear the calling of mystic waterfalls.
Once I dreamt of seeing the sunset in a tropical island drinking fabulous Argentinean wine.
Once I dreamt of letting me be while hearing the waves of the ocean.
Once I dreamt of hearing Hokkaido Bon Uta and feeling like I should be dancing and singing along.
Once I dreamt of feeling so happy that my heart wouldn’t take more of it…
Once I dreamt I would be an adventurer and I realize now that I must keep dreaming for life to keep giving me more wonderful presents.
My adventurer spirit takes me wherever I want to go...

Kaeru

“Kaeru”
Return to me…
Peace, Fall leaves, hot choco, miso soup…
How much I miss you!
You and me chatting for hours
You and me laughing and eating
Nature was there for us…trees danced with us and caressed us with their smooth arms
Waterfalls sang for us and we dreamed of hearing their melody forever
Flowers, mountains, air…
Wise words…funny words…Japanese words…Spanish words…English words
I miss you so much!
Kaeru, kaeru, kaeru!

Journey

Awake, looking for the unknown
Alive, singing love poems
Defeated, torturing myself
It’s been a journey
Still on the road
This hot summer is burning my soul
This cruel winter is making me cold
Yet the road is there
Still pedaling against the wildest wind
Still fighting against the non-believers
I’m awake, I’m alive, I’m conquering!
It’s been a journey

Happy Day

This is a happy day!
Tears will not be shed over my heart anymore,
The fragrance of the spring flowers will dance in my sweetest memories.
I decide not to suffer anymore
For life is too short to fill my heart with sadness.
I decide to smile and believe that the impossible is possible.
This is a day to fly
For flying is not absurd.
This is a day to dream
For dreaming is not forbidden.

This is a happy day!
No anger, no fear, no bitterness…
The melody of *quenas and zamponas lures me.
I decide to dance and be free
For life is too short to pour sorrow on it.
I decide to let me be,
I decide to let my heart be,
I decide to let my words come out.

This is a happy day!
No winter, no cold, no desolation.
Drums play melodies of a new life.
I decide to open my ears and let the notes possess me
For life is too short to shed tears,
For life is too short to be hapless.
Today I declare to the world that I am insanely happy!

quenas and zamponas: Bolivian wind instruments.

Where I am from

Where I am From

I am from the scent of freesias, from the smell of steel and soil.
I am from the Andean Plateau, windy harsh weather
I am from the coca leaf that heals and the potatoes that my people eat.
I am from my hard-working people and Aymara traits.
From Miriam and Joaquin, and my uncle Felix who left us when he was a child.

I am from the determined people and strict ones.
From "study hard to succeed" and believe in God because He loves you
I am from “Cristo Rey” where my Catholicism became real
I am from high sacred mountains, from quinoa and chuño.

From the woman who gave up her dreams and makes me feel that I am still a child, and the man who stayed with me and made me strong.

I am from the old photo album where my parents hold hands, and I show a smile. I am from a photo album that was left behind in the past.

Waiting

The emptiness of my spirit
Is anything real?
The search will find something at the end
Is there anything we should be looking for?
Tears, indifference, distance
How can I wake you up?
How can I make you feel the bitter needle that is penetrating my soul?
Is there anything I can do?
My mind is blown away by your coldness, by your soulless
Is there anything I can do to make you sing the anthem of my sorrow?
Is there any way I can break the rules and make you fall down from your stiffness and realize that you are unique?
Running, singing, reading, fighting, loving, hating, are you really empty?
This sorrow sticks to me and doesn't leave me
Is there anybody waiting for me?
Is there anybody to be loved by me?
And...what's love?
Holding hands, cheating, lust?
What's love at the end?
Subjugating, fusion, soul mates?
And the people who forced me to love, what are they?
Did they love me? awaken by the sirens
Awaken by the drums of the conquest
Liberating myself
Liberating from the hope
No one is waiting for you
No one is the one
No one will answer your prayers
Asleep, fighting with my pillows
I want to sleep, I want to dream of you
Are you still there?
Do you exist?
Will you look at me and know that it's me who you were waiting for?
Were you waiting for me?
Are you in another bed dreaming of liberating yourself?
In delirium tremens I want my mind to be
Holding this heart in my hands, petting it, hoping someone will take care of it
Singing sweet lullabies to "him," is my heart a him or a her? singing Manu Chao songs to my beloved one even if I haven't never been introduced to him
And I want to open my eyes and see with them and with something else, I want to see reality
Is there anything real?
A tender kiss on my lips...I'm longing for that...
I know you are there...somewhere...looking for me even if you don't know you are doing that
The beautiful sky over my head and my thoughts give me the answer...you are there, somewhere...and you, yes, you! will sing songs of love to me
And you, yes, you! will blow up my mind with the love you are holding for me
Set your alarm clock...and wake up when the music plays!
Love is real! you know that and we both want to be liberated
We both are soulful, we both are hidden artists, hidden poets, hidden human beings with hearts
I'm waiting for you...please wait for me! wherever you're, whoever you're, whatever you do, just tell me you will love me like I'll love you
I'm not empty anymore!