Poetry by Venessa Maria Fuentes

Venessa and her son Felix

Venessa Maria Fuentes is a 37-year-old Latina from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her family immigrated to Minnesota from Bolivia. Fuentes received a B.A. from Macalester College in Women's and Gender Studies. She worked as a coordinator of Youth Programs at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. In her spare time, she serves on the Acentos Review editorial board, helps friends with photography and film projects, and leads creative writing workshops at elementary schools. In 2003, she received the SASE/Jerome grant. Her poems also appear in Between the Heart and the Land/Entre el Corazóny la Tierra: Latina Poets in the Midwest. She enjoys her job as a writer of grants and reports at Project for Pride in Living (PPL). She currently lives in Minneapolis with her son, Felix, and partner, Crystal, and is working on her first collection of poetry.

The poems by Venessa Fuentes in the anthology The Wind Shifts: New Latino Poetry can be appreciated by Latinos/as living outside of their country of origin and individuals with strong family ties because they explore Latino/a family history and relationships in a respectful and impacting way. Though these two audiences would especially appreciate her poetry, I also found that Fuentes uses the theme of everyday life- living in an apartment, taking a stroll in the park, and the difficulty of death- to relate to all audiences. 

Venessa's abuela

In Cebolla, Fuentes describes her grandmother through the metaphor of an onion. Her abuela tells her that men and onions both bring tears. Fuentes sympathizes with “the way certain wrinkles lie on her [grandmother’s] face when she is sad and full of her Bolivia” (123). This sadness comes from her history and experiences as a younger woman. Venessa Fuentes uses a blog to write about her family life, emotions, and current adventures. In one of these posts, she talks about her grandmother in a way that provided a deeper understanding of the background of Cebolla. Her abuela raised four children in La Paz, Bolivia, but fled the country in 1960 to start a new life in Minneapolis. She left her abusive husband. Fuentes cannot begin to understand her grandmother’s experiences though her “Abuela’s history adds another shell to mine” (123). Her closing line emphasizes her respectful love for her grandmother as she is “looking forward to the day when my wrinkly hands can be so calm” (123). Fuentes weaves affection and empathy throughout this poem as she attempts to understand the past of her beloved grandmother.

Her poem titled Pinkie integrates aspects of Latino/a culture in a seamless style. She uses two Spanish words, mujer and bien, in mid-sentence as though the combination of two languages is a natural part of her rhetoric. Another cultural reference is made in her description of a “Frida-blue hour the best time for prayer” (129). Perhaps she is referring to Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter who was born and died in her home known as The Blue House. Fuentes also refers to Colombia as a “pearl on your finger so far away” (129). Colombia is described as the “mother tongue” and “bit of white gold” that is full of memories and a familial history and culture. The vivid images throughout Pinkie allow Latinos/as in the U.S. and non-Latinos/as alike to value the defining places and aspects of their own individual history.

Glass Grapes explores family connection as well as the separation of families through its setting in Gramma Anna’s and Grampa Henry’s kitchen. As Fuentes creates a picture of a place she loves, she uses personification to describe the “laundry breathing heavy” and the way the “scotch and milk cry together” (127). The strong influence of family becomes apparent as Fuentes portrays glass grapes as wishes that question the absence of her father. Gramma encourages her that he “might come by,” but her grandfather “knows better than might” and instead charismatically demands a hug from his precious granddaughter (127). He understands her questions and her doubts and regardless of her father’s actions, he wishes to show her his boundless love. Fuentes’ emphasis on family- grandparents, father, sister, etc- throughout her poetry speaks to its significance in her own experience as well as in the Latino/a culture.

The poetry of this young poet should be read by everyone because of her unique ability to make daily living feel real and alive. In her poem Unit 402, I found myself thinking about my experiences of living in dorms or apartments and always being aware of the noises and activities within close proximity. I can relate to the feeling of restlessness and desiring a change of pace or a change in scenery that would refresh my weariness. She says that “a trip to the farmer’s market helps,” which demonstrates the value of something simple and its effect on our attitudes and emotions (126). Fuentes’ poetry is engaging to ponder as it creates windows and mirrors that bring new perspectives and appreciation for life. Her poems reflect themes of family relationships, understanding cultural heritage, and daily experiences that are often overlooked or not creatively explored.

Photos courtesy of Venessa's blog: http://venessafive.wordpress.com/