Look at us, we barely stand out here in the western sun tangled in weeds and brush Our glorious past unbeknown to most. Drink and delicacy of ancient royalty, bestowers of civilized pleasures, where did it all go? Inglorious present in front of you. My leaves provided thatch for humble dwellings, my fibers thread and cord, if cooked, my pulp is nutritious You can ask the Aztecs...oh but they’re all gone! Nopal is my name of ancient heritage comes from Nahuatl; language of gods My image revered in Mexico’s flag and stamped in Malta’s coat of arms In Arabic my name is patience and tenacity qualities that survived as you can see In Hebrew I’m sabra; a Jew born in Israel, in Spanish I’m peasant feed In front of you we're all thorns even repugnant to some, but if you dare look closer you will find our inside is sweet and soft Nydia O.
I wrote this poem in 2016 during a writer’s retreat in Alpine, Texas, where the task was to write an ekphrastic poem based on one of the professional photos on display at the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Russ University.
I chose a photo by Alpine photographer Jim Bones. I imagined the conversation between these two desert dwellers, and so the poem was written. Hope you like it.
NydiaO 