Mora, Pat. 2000. My own true name. Houston: Arte Público Press. ISBN: 1-55885-292-1.
My Own True Name is a collection of poems written by Pat Mora. The poems, for the most part, reflect on life within the Mexican American culture. The book is divided into three sections: blooms, thorns, and roots.
There are seventeen poems in the first section (blooms). The poems in this section are generally speaking lighthearted and upbeat. There are several that discuss the emotions that come along with first love. For example, the poem "Maybe" is about a young girl trying to attract the attention of the boy she has a crush on.
Maybe
if I stretch myself tall
as a tree, if I sway
and pull my stomach in
until it touches my spine
and curl my hair into a river
of light, if I borrow
my sister's dress that whispers
when I glide without touching
the floor, and if I try a laugh
that ripples green with mystery;
maybe he'll forget it's just me
hiding inside.
---page 11
The first section also includes a poem written first in English, and then in Spanish ("The Desert is My Mother" or "El desierto es mi madre"). There were some other poems in the following sections that were bilingual as well.
The second section (thorns) includes twenty-two poems. These poems are more realistic or serious than some of the earlier poems. Some poems discuss the hardships of growing up within two cultures. For example, "Learning English: Chorus in Many Voices" and "Elena" are poems about how hard it is to learn English and become part of a new culture. "Sugar" is about a young girl's experience with prejudice. Every payday her father treats her and her siblings to a sugary treat at a local convenience store. The girl overhears other customers (and perhaps the clerk) making negative remarks about them. These harsh words take away her joy of getting a treat; she realizes that because of her skin color (culture) some people look down at her.
There are twenty-three poems in the final section (roots). These poems generally focus on the legacy of families and the strength of the culture. Without a doubt my favorite poem of the entire collection is "Los Ancianos." This poem is about an elderly couple who are still in love. Here's a brief excerpt:
I watch him help her
off the curb and I smell love
like dried flowers, old love
of holding hands with one man for fifty years.
That poem paints such a beautiful picture. It is full of wonderful emotions and imagery.
Overall, I enjoyed this collection of poetry. I liked her use of language—particularly in the poem "Los Ancianos"—although all of them were nice. I thought the book was definitely distinct in culture. It seems very authentic. I enjoyed reading some of the poems in both languages. Although I don't read Spanish, I liked reading it trying to figure out what words mean what…and what the differences are between the two languages. I would recommend this book to others.
Culture Three Readings: