Untold Stories by Luna Kati’kuya Picone-Louro
March 31, 2026
English written poem translation
I see my grandmother’s hands in photographs
Lost under heavy layers of dust,
like a trapped memory finally escaping.
I flip through versions and versions of this face,
A face my mom says I have,
This face that’s in my blood,
This face I never got to touch.
My aunt says I look like her,
Like Veronica,
Veronica,
Veronica because abuela was taken from me.
Drawn from my mouth,
Extracted from my mother’s,
Plucked out of my vocabulary,
Like our names from the history books,
Like our faces from the portraits,
Like our language from our islands|.
Hiawatahia written poem translation
D’arikei da akutu’no uhabu’no alu ayakua’no
Wasiwa’ki abon hawuta eyodalo’no lan amuru
Hiana aba akanawa’ki nekakoro kakalia’dei anura’ni
Da kuwata dinawa versions kena versions lan toho simu
Aba simu da hadoya eisahi’no da ewa
Toho simu tosa’no alu da itaa
Toho simu da m’dan abiha’ki A~ akuna
Da yabo eisahi’no da arikei hiana tiya
Hiana veronica
Veronica
Veronica anaihi abuela koba anuka’ho waria da
Aluwahaho waria da arikai
Rakasa’ki waria da hadoya’no
Ahula’ki m’alu lan da vocabulary
Hiana wa iri’no alu ka udahudawa karalo’no
Hiana wa simu waria ka portraits. Hiana wa ahianiwa waria wa kairi’no
This poem was written by Luna Kati’kuya Picone-Louro, a member of the Youth Poetry Fellowship. Luna was mentored by Amy Hirayama and Jourdan Imani Keith. Performed at the Seattle Arts & Lectures SAL Presents Series event with Stephen Graham Jones at Town Hall on March 30, 2026.
Posted in Student Writing Youth Poet Laureate Support 2025/26 Season