Flowers and Songs of Sorrow

"Nothing but flowers and songs of sorrow

are left in Mexico and Tlatelolco,

where once we saw warriors and wise men. [...]

We are crushed to the ground; we lie in ruins.

There is nothing but grief and suffering

in Mexico and Tlatelolco,

where once we saw beauty and valor.

Have you grown weary of your servants?

Are you angry with your servants,

O Giver of Life?"

Nahua poetry, Victors and Vanquished, Stuart Schwartz, 213

During this section of discovery and conquest, I have really been trying to put myself in the shoes of those on both sides of this story. Without me taking sides or claiming one side the victors and the other side vanquished, I think it is pretty easy to decide who you sincerely feel bad for in this heartbreaking story.

In the beginning, I tried to imagine being a Spaniard arriving in such a foreign land, seeing such foreign people and practices. I try to imagine what I would think and feel as I came upon this unknown people with peculiar cultures and resources. My mind would have been blown seeing the breathtaking landscapes and endless beauty. At the same time, I would have been frightened to see the strange actions of the unknown people, and to witness the horrifying sacrifices they performed.

Then, I imagine myself as a native, minding my own business. In mind's eye, I try to grasp what it might have been like to find strange ships at my shore. I wonder what they must have thought as frighteningly armed men wandered through my land with no apparent respect for me or nature. Honestly, the first thing I thought about during this section was Pocahontas, and how she and her people attempted to work with the strangers.

Finally, I remorse with the people who called Mexico their home. I honestly tried to imagine what it would be like if that happened to my life, my culture, my people. I don't even want to imagine it. The poetry included at the end of the reading was very insightful. It must have been devastating to witness the total destruction of a once-thriving community. It is certainly a sad part of history