7/30/2024 Poetry by Chanelle Pingree Flickr CC
Mahålang mahålang in my Chamorro language relates to expressions of longing sentiments of sadness there are some words we learn through experience and some words we become through experience example of the first i felt mahålang when my brother died example of the second i am mahålang for my brother when I was a little girl i used a mnemonic device a memory trick to remember it my poetic inclinations and love of literature led me to use a lovely device called alliteration the repeating of initial same letter or sound in neighboring words such as mahålang means missing missing someone missing home missing what once was missing what is no longer feelings of nostalgia intense desire for something unreachable deep yearning for the familiar symptoms of homesickness it is wanting to return to a person place or thing aching for what is absent from our lives wishful thinking an intermittent discharge steam rising from a spring turbulent tears bursting geysers of our grief mahålang yu’ nu hågu. what it means in English translation i miss you Chanelle Pingree is an indigenous Chamorro poet and writer from the Pacific Island of Guam. She holds a B.A.in Philosophy and minor in Asian Studies. Her work has been published in Libretto Magazine, The Southern Quill, Epiphany, Salt Lake City Public Library Zine and Pacific Daily News. She is a raging bookworm and is passionate about education, philosophy, saving public libraries, mental health advocacy, space exploration, and environmentalism. She thoroughly enjoys discussing and writing about existential topics highlighted in science fiction, fantasy books, comics, and films. She explores the cosmos full-time living in a TARDIS with her bearded Viking husband and two brilliant sons. Comments are closed.
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