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Gathering in the Names

for Michael Vincent Laureate Ortiz Hill (1957-2022)

I’ll add names to my life until I’m subtracted,
And my name is as long as this poem.

There’s a scroll with a list of the lives I’ve impacted,
And my name is as long as this poem.

A father, a healer, a shaman, a brother,
A Nichols, an Ortiz, an author, an other.

And when I’m done shouting from laureate hill,
The sound of my voice will be echoing still.
And my name is as long as this poem.

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Poet’s Note: Ortiz before Hill is the Mexican-American style. Ortiz after Hill is the Puerto Rican style (my name) 

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Martin Hill Ortiz is a researcher and professor at the Ponce University of Health Sciences in Ponce, PR where he lives with his wife and son. He has three novels published by small presses: A Predatory Mind (Loose Leaves Publishing, 2013),  Never Kill A Friend, (Ransom Note Press, 2015), and A Predator’s Game (Rook’s Page, 2016). 

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7 Responses

  1. C.B. Anderson

    Every line of this poem is pregnant, and what these lines give birth to is up to the reader. And I, for one, am still wavering. Non-linearity, when well executed, is a wonder to behold.

    Reply
  3. jd

    I like this poem very much and I think it must be
    because of what Mr. Anderson said. But I also like
    the repetition of the last line throughout.

    Reply
  4. Joseph S. Salemi

    Condolences to you on the death of your brother. May he rest in peace.

    Italians also tend to have long and intricate names.

    Reply
  6. Paul Freeman

    A very emotional poem to read. The repetition recalled a shaman’s chant.

    The lines ‘And when I’m done shouting from laureate hill, / The sound of my voice will be echoing still,’ were very poignant.

    Thanks for the read, Martin, and sorry for your loss.

    Reply
  7. Margaret Coats

    The ritual represented by the poem must hold numerous meanings, many unknown to those of us who read it at a distance. May your brother rest in peace, Martin, and may your words offer consolation to you and others who have lost him.

    Reply

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