If I grabbed a handful
of words
I had never heard and
Sprinkled them over a paragraph
So I could write
A magnificent story
imagine
In 2015, Juan Felipe Herrera was named the first chicano poet of the United States, an honorary position created by Congress to raise awareness of the reading and writing of poetry in our country. His writings include books for children, books of poetry and books on social issues surrounding hispanic life and culture. His book, Imagine, asks children to imagine what they can be when they grow up.
If I started to write
A poem
On a skinny paper pad after school
As i walked on the wide sidewalk
And then finished it
When
I got home
Imagine
Juan Felipe Herrera was born to California migrant farmworkers in 1948. In college at UCLA he was active in the Chicano civil rights movement and has been a prominent part of the Chicano literary movement since the 1960's. He continues to publish books and poems inspired by day to day life of hispanics, folk music and life in California.
Today, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize Poet Laureate of the United States, Juan Felipe Herrera.
