Fuego en el Cielo (Fire Within the Sky)
BY Sophia Bazini
The Hernández balloon rising
Its fire carries a secret uniting
Where lifting a balloon together holds more than just tradition
It is the event that prevents this family fission
Where every stitch sews them tighter together
Whether or not they are carrying some pressure from life
There is no measure for how this uplifts them
As they release this balloon into the sky
They realize a new version of themselves
Letting go of their negative energy as they hold one another in chants and prayer
The balloon almost carries them with it as it navigates through the air
They are a family among the clouds
They are ungrounded but their roots live through the sky
Their ancestors are birds
And kites
Remembering the labor that brought them to this moment
In the community of Purepecha
On these unforgettable nights
The Hernández family reignites themselves
And us with them
As we live through these fires in the sky
Cassady López
Cassady López is a poet, writer, film enthusiast, sister and friend. She has performed and competed from the final stage at the Los Angels Get Lit Classic Slam to the Brave New Voices Slam stages. She writes and highlights subjects such as family, latinidad, homelessness and disability. She was born and raised in the desert and hopes to continue writing and creating with in her community
