Translated and Transferred

by Natalie Cappelletti

We pass valleys between our lips, 

Scour coastlines between our syllables, and  

As we go, we charter a map of dialects 

Plotting the geography of a language,  

Tracing the roots of our words up mountain ranges and down to coastlines. 

The intimate curvatures of suffixes traverse over glaciers and cliffsides,  

As the pasts and presents of our land become affixed to each character.  

Translation stifled our miscommunication, but 

Transference allowed our words to have new meanings entirely.  

The shape of our letters divide land from sea, 

Punctuating boundaries with each word formed,  

Our sentences construct cities and capitals, and  

The intent of our paragraphs draw countries and continents. 

The translation still baffled us, but the transfer was familiar,  

As if it never was foreign before.  

About the Writer...

Natalie Cappelletti is a junior at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. For the future, she hopes to continue to polish and produce powerful works of writing. Natalie intends to major in Linguistics at the collegiate level, and hopes that her education will contribute to her exploration of writing and language. Natalie has had her work featured in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for three consecutive years in the mediums of poetry and fiction. Natalie has earned gold, silver, and honorable mention disciplines of the competition. In her free time, Natalie enjoys reading, completing puzzles, and knitting.

About the Artist...

Tatiana Arroyave is a senior at Savannah Arts Academy. Her favorite mediums are heavy charcoal and watercolor.