Amor de Madre

Smiling and proud
With scars on your face and tattoos on your soul that tell me
That life is short, one day to endure the hits and the other to heal the wounds.

Shameless illiterate,
But you devoured the letters and made sure your children never ran out of ink, so that
Your past never touched them, so that they were never less than anyone else.

You were born in postwar, grew up in a dictatorship,
You've been hungrier than a blind dog and your childhood lasted a year and a half.

I've seen you cry few times, and I've seen you fight many more,
I've seen you face death and look it in the eye and knock out its teeth.

And that's why I want to sing to you, because I'm proud of you,
For all the sleepless nights for me, for everything I've made you suffer.

When I feel lonelier than a beggar on a sidewalk,
When everyone knows my miseries,
When I feel lonelier than a drunk and his bottle,
When no blood runs through my veins,
When no one loves me and my sorrow rots away,
I know I'll always have you, my old lady.

You knew how to grab the mop and tried to grit your teeth,
You couldn't keep your mouth shut and who can tame a wave.
Not the blows from the rich nor the disdain of the powerful
Could make you bend your knees or bow your head like a child.

And that's why I want to sing to you because I'm a piece of you because I have your wit,
Your anger and passion and for you my heart beats.

When I feel lonelier than a beggar on a sidewalk,
When everyone knows my miseries,
When I feel lonelier than a drunk and his bottle,
When no blood runs through my veins,

When no one loves me and my sorrow rots away,
I know I'll always have you, my old lady.