Poem for Nohemi

Below is a poem written by United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera in honor of Nohemi Gonzalez, a design student at CSULB who was killed during the Paris attacks. The poem was delivered aloud by CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White at a vigil held in honor of Gonzalez on Sunday, November 15, 2015. A PDF version is available here.

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Nohemi — a Song for Paris

 

Mimi — can I call you that

this is a song for you —

 

with candles we stand & we kneel

this is how it is now we

well all of us we

send you these flowers across time

this time here which we

                        cannot explain

 

all love goes to you

& your friends the other night

so many with you gone we

stand we play Lennon’s piano

Imagine — we say

a world without violence —

we want to imagine that in your name

Nohemi Gonzalez from El Monte

from Whittier California from

Cal State Long Beach —

then

            we run out of words

 

the words

so many words your mamá

Beatríz your cousin Jacqueline

we know them now — for you

 

we write them a poem too

I do not know how we will do that

we are doing that — that is all

like the designs you made — for a high-spirited world

you said you were high-spirited & self-driven -— yes

like the dreams you had

& the words First Generation

the ones you used to

describe               your life

 

we continue with you — somehow

it is not important to know how

it is important to continue that is all

I must — say it again

 

we are all writing a poem

for you for your cousin Jacqueline

for your mamá Beatríz — she loved you

their love will make it alright

all of our love will make it alright        yes

 

                        here is your song Mimi —

 

We light Nohemi a candle

the candle waves across the stars

close they are so close because

Nohemi & Paris are in our hearts

 

Because

            Nohemi &

                        Paris — are in                   

   our hearts

 

-- Juan Felipe Herrera

Poet Laureate of the United States