By Ashley Grullon
the reason we like to play with la pompa is simple
it’s as if in that moment
tu
yo
and the rest of the little carajitos from la 182nd y Audubon
are transported back to the barrio
where we were fortunate to spend our summers
the barrio where
when it rained
we were free
corriendo y jugando
abrazándonos
uno al otro
y cantando la escuelita
thanking the gods for la lluvia
la lluvia that we begged for
after we had 5 funditas de agua
and still weren’t cooled down enough
***
Ashley Grullon, 20 years old. Pronouns are she, her, and hers. Born and raised in Washington Heights, New York City. Mami is from San Francisco de Macoris and Papi is from Nagua. Currently studying at the University of Virginia.
Double majoring in Latin American Studies and American Studies with a concentration in Race and Ethnicity and minoring in Latinx Studies. I’ve been writing for about 6 years but have recently had the confidence to share it with others.
