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 children rough 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 birth and transplanted in a gringo world-

Once beautiful

She died amongst the junkies

Pimps and whores of 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.