By Alessandra Gonzalez

New Identities

Not Alessandra but Alyssa, because
I can’t bear the rage in my chest when
I become Alexandra or ale as in
beer, because rolling an r is
asking for too much off of lazy tongues —
unless I am Alejandra for a fleeting
second, a whisper that means nothing.
Alyssa, not Alessandra –
because the double s must be
less exotic, less accented, less other, convenient.
Alyssa — descendant of noble Greeks, not
my seasoned blood from the Canary Islands
on my father’s side, not the City of Jars
on my mother’s side, from other
unpronounceable places.
Alyssa – name of American influencers, not
poignant pen-wielders or dulcet crooners,
not women who’ve been carved
from the grit of struggle.
Alyssa – commonplace, pale skin over
lush melanin spattered in freckles.

Alessandra Marie González –
defender of mankind –
and they can’t even fucking say it.

For the woman at the grocery store who heard us speaking Spanish

and promptly asked if we happened to know where she could find the “ta-kee-toes” in here, to which we replied in the negative and pointed her in the direction of an employee standing in the aisle, after which she asked us if we knew by chance where this store kept their hot sauce “like the salsa stuff that goes on your food” and we again stated that we had no idea how this particular grocery store happened to organize their products, but that it was likely in the international foods aisle if we had to guess, but I’m sorry ma’am, we don’t actually live here. How a snort could sound so pompous I will never understand, but the main idea is I did hear you when you mumbled “well that’s obvious” and I’d like to say eso era una falta de respeto, y un acto de ignorancia.

Alessandra Gonzalez is a Cuban American poet who dedicates her craft to pinning down the parallels between palm trees. Her work encompasses themes of familial values, coming-of-age, and healing from trauma in a lyrical, image-driven manner of storytelling. Alessandra is a graduate student at the University of Central Florida currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, where she is a reader for The Florida Review. When not teaching or writing, Alessandra spends her time dreaming, singing, or collecting all things nerdy.