Nunca me rajé

Daniela Sandoval

Cielo que te quiere cielo

Cielo celeste. Cielo infinito.

Qué vida he vivido, allá en mi Jalisco. Mi tierra del sol, qué hermosa es pero más hermosas son sus mujeres.

Cruzando los montes que cultivé, la nostalgia me recuerda que nunca me rajé. Sembré maíz, coseché durazno, jitomate y amor.

Miro a mis hijos y nietos y bisnietos y me quiero quedar.

¿Cómo sabré cuándo es mi hora?

Háblame Santa Madre Mía, es todo lo que pido. No sé si soltar o seguir luchando.

¡Cielo, que yo te quiero cielo!

He cumplido con mi deber en esta tierra.

¡Oh, muerte santa!

Qué lejos estoy del suelo donde nací.

Ya no veo ninguna luz,

Cielo, que yo te quiero cielo.1

Dear Reader,

I want you, for a moment, to imagine what it would feel like to hold a dream in your hands. What would it feel like to transform a fantasy into a reality? Though it seems impossible, I think I know the feeling. It’s how I felt seeing the first issue of DAHA projected in the lobby of the NYU Buenos Aires Academic Center.

I am Stephanie Farmer, the founder and editor-in-chief of NYUBA’s first-ever journal. In August 2022, the idea for this literature and art journal came to me as I was preparing for my journey below the equator. The idea was born from a desire to house all the creative energy that floats around young minds. Within the first week of orientation in Buenos Aires, I met brilliant creative spirits with whom I knew I needed to work.

NYU is a tight-knit fabric of artists–DAHA gave us the space we needed to share the passions we nurture in private. At the end of the day, I know that art is what changes the world. Beyond the foundational powers of math and society and politics, art is what gives this world meaning. I want to be surrounded by the people that love giving life meaning. During fall 2022 in Buenos Aires, DAHA was a home I wanted to build for these people.

DAHA: De Adentro Hacia Afuera, is grounded in its South American home and translates into English to “From the Inside Out.” Its goal is to foster a strong community both inside NYUBA and beyond. If you ask any of the fifty students at NYUBA, they will tell you that the experience of living abroad hasn’t been flawless, but, in art and writing and creativity, we become connected.

We realize we are together in our struggles and also in our joys. It was through creative expression that we were able to engage in a dialogue with our host city of Buenos Aires, rich in renowned literature and world-famous public art.

The following is an excerpt from the second digital issue titled: La Caída Del Agua—inspired by our school trip to Iguazú Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. In that falling water, there is so much glory and raw emotion. We tried to creatively capture the sheer power of the water. These pages speak to the power of washing things away and the transformational power of water. Themes of change, newness, the past and the experience of studying abroad in Argentina are contemplated and explored. I hope you feel as much strength in the words written here as we felt seeing the Northern Argentine falls. Enjoy this brief glimpse adentro. The entire digital versions of the journal are available at https://issuu.com/dahazine. I’m so proud of each creative spirit who bared a bit of themselves to fulfill this vision I have. Look at the following pages and imagine what it might be like to pull something out of your imagination with your bare hands. Imagine what it is like to believe in something so much that it becomes real.

Thank you, Stephanie

Farmer