I leave words I forget
I thread needles red black blue fuchsia green
Tired of Public Competitions for Teaching Positions
I began to embroider each garment in my wardrobe
I arranged my doctoral diplomas and stowed them near the bookshelf
So they wouldn’t feel inferior
CV back to “0”
I file it
bury it
The market wants professionals at record speed
Titles and master’s degrees,
etc. in bulk
But we seamstresses are timeless

- excerpt from Diary of a Proletarian Seamstress by Victoria Guerrero Peirano

translated from the Spanish by Anastatia Spicer and Nora Spicer

Portions of the translation have been featured in the following locations

Article on Asymptote Journal

ALTA Conference

Interview on Action Books

Poetry Foundation Feature

Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day Feature