The Pickup's Culture coverage is brought to you by Tulsa Artists' Coalition Gallery, 40 Years of Empowering Tulsa Artists. Visit TAC Gallery to see American Highway Revisited by VC Torneden and Melinda Harvey Green, June 5 – 27, 2026.
Editor's Note: These poems were written by women in the La Esperanza rehabiliation center, which works with Poetic Justice to deliver writing and art workshops to women in Tijuana, Mexico. Many thanks to La Esperanza and Poetic Justice for permission to share them, and to Kasey Hughart, Angelica Rodriguez, Alondra Velez, and Jackie Navarro at Tulsa EduCare for their assistance with the translations.
Amo quien soy | I love who I am
Hoy puedo decir que amo quien soy
pues fui forjada atraves de mis dolores.
Today I can say that I love who I am,
for I was forged through my sorrows.
Cada una de mis heridas solo me hizo más fuerte,
más sabia y más resiliente.
Each of my wounds only made me stronger,
wiser, and more resilient.
Hoy de mi pasado solo quedan cicatrices
que atestiguan mis heridas.
Today, of my past, only scars remain
That bear witness to my wounds.