Home Tastes Just Like Fried Plantains by Silvana Morales
CBC Books | | Posted: November 7, 2019 2:00 PM | Last Updated: November 7, 2019
2019 CBC Poetry Prize longlist
Silvana Morales has made the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize longlist for Home Tastes Just Like Fried Plantains.
The winner of the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.
The shortlist will be announced on Nov. 14, 2019. The winner will be announced on Nov. 21, 2019.
About Silvana
Silvana Morales is a Latina poet based in Montreal. She is an undergraduate student in creative writing and religious studies at Concordia University.
Entry in five-ish words
Culture, religion, Cuba, family history.
The poem's source of inspiration
"This series of poems is part of a larger work of poetry dedicated to exploring my cultural and family traditions. Growing up in Montreal and only having access to daily Cuban life a few times a year, has pushed me to learn more about myself and my ancestors. Through poetry, I wanted to capture pieces of my family history and depict the vibrant yet often unexplored culture of Cuba."
First lines
My Abuela is made of dried up tobacco leaves.
She is made of rum – Añejo 7 Años, of course,
Rich and dark like her skin;
Never Blanco.
My Abuela is made of raw sugarcane cut by machetes.
She is made of hierbabuena and manzanilla
And the quimbombó only she dares to eat.
That is what my Abuela is made of.
She is made of rum – Añejo 7 Años, of course,
Rich and dark like her skin;
Never Blanco.
My Abuela is made of raw sugarcane cut by machetes.
She is made of hierbabuena and manzanilla
And the quimbombó only she dares to eat.
That is what my Abuela is made of.