Año Nuevo

Wilmar Ayala
New year, listen up

A year that’s gone and another one that’s coming
But we keep moving forward because the Lord keeps us going
The struggle is real every day, gotta put in the effort
You only stop when your dreams come true

No going back!
And everyone gets what they deserve
Even if the road is tough, in the end, the tree always grows
I spill my heart into these verses even when the pencil feels heavy
Those who persist win, buddy, and those who give up perish

Life gives you cold and sometimes heat
Even if the rain is heavy, the sun always shines through
We don’t care about anything, especially spreading pain
When we lose what we love, we understand its worth

I’m honest, there were bad days and good ones
Sunny days, gray afternoons, and nights full of noise
They tried to take me down with curses and poison
But they’re just pests invading my space

It’s easy to judge someone else’s situation
Envy blinds, kills the soul, and poisons it, oh yes!
The haters keep criticizing other people’s lives
I open their minds, but all they have are bags of sand and water

You didn’t take care of what mattered, don’t cry for its loss
There’s no room for hypocrisy, they fake it all their lives
Many shake hands even if it’s not a goodbye
And the so-called friend always digs into the wound

I met people who are now important
I didn’t know a few who are now fakes
I had small problems that turned into giants
But despite it all, I never took off my gloves

Twelve months where everything wasn’t perfect
Like any normal human, I have my flaws
From the bottom of my heart, I apologize to several
If I hurt or harmed you, it was never my intention

Never pay back with the same coin you were given
Bless those who hate you and love those who messed with you
They didn’t understand how you do it
But that’s how they learned to be better people
Only when they saw you

But despite the mud, thank God for everything
He watched over me and held me every day from that wolf
I’m ungrateful even though I’ve had it all
He straightens my path every time I mess up

I knew no one was with me
When I said with my hand I’ll count who’s a friend
Oh surprise! I had five fingers left on each hand
I don’t trust even my mother, I don’t trust even my brother

On this journey, we call each other brothers
And at the edge of the abyss, they let go of both my hands
It’s a relationship like Jesus with the Romans
Spaniards trading mirrors for gold with my villagers

I’m a dark-skinned Latino, not an albino
I don’t believe in false gods, especially not in St. Valentine
I believe in that man who turned barrels of water into wine
He’s the guide, the light, the answer to the path

I sniff like Pluto, I think it through and execute
He’s the one who writes for me, that’s why I enjoy it
I’ve been thrown down many times, I don’t argue with any of them
Because the tree that gets hit the most is the one that bears the most fruit

True friends are rare these days
True friends, through wins and losses
They hug you to your face, but stab you in the back
And enough hearts for so many pacemakers

Wilmar Ayala
May all the glory and honor be to God, amen
Take it away