We were all drawn the the absolute sass that “hex poem to the colonizers, recolonizers, and haters” embodies. Even though the poem is short, Maldonado conveys a strong message through humor and snark. Of course, poetry, especially the poetry we’ve been talking about is also meant to be read and shared out loud, so Lucy decided to make an animation of the poem and read it to you.

Lucy’s Director’s Statement Comments

Based on Malodano’s other poems, I see a vulnerability in her work in addition to the sass in this poem. Because of this combination, I added a heart at the title to reflect her sarcasm, and used purple for her words to represent her femininity and identity as a woman, which are common motifs throughout her work as well. (It also adds to the witchiness of her hex.)

Kayla’s Interpretation

This poem is essentially about taking a stand against oppressors. It uses symbolism and if you ever made maduros you know the popping of the oil can be very hectic at times. While reading this I imagine myself cooking a meal and the quick reflexes you have to have when throwing the platanos in the oil. The platanos in turn are a representation of the colonized people and the popping oil is the backlash in which the colonizers will receive from these people.

Probably one of the most important and interesting stanzas is the last one stating, “ and I hope when you bite into it, thinking the sting was worth it/ you realize you didn’t let the platano ripen enough/ and it ain’t even that sweet.” This stanza is both very funny and full of attitude. I definitely hear the poets voice in these lines and this line made me feel the most connected to the poet because an under ripe platano isn’t always the best. It’s the poets “haha” moment to the colonizers exemplifying how the Hispanic people can’t be detained.

This line can also be related to the other poems in this link which I went on to look at for similarities. There’s a common theme of territory and belonging; a collision and being apart of two different worlds all at once. Through these poems you see how essential it is for the Hispanic culture to say “we are here” and to be heard and seen. 

Dulce’s Drawing

Since the poem is titled “hex poem to colonizers, recolonizers, and haters”, I decided that it would only make sense to draw a witch-like character in order to put emphasis on the “hex” aspect of it. I made sure to make her hair curly and give her a set of brown eyes. I wanted her to be a character that not only represented the context of the poem itself, but also of latinx people. Her witch’s hat also adds on to the “hexing” bit. Above her, is a thought bubble, she’s thinking or manifesting the sort of damage that she wants these people, aka, the “colonizers”, “recolonizers” and “haters” to suffer. As you can see in the poem, she repeatedly states “I hope”, she’s not directly causing any harm, so in my drawing she’s also just manifesting these misfortunes.