I Am You Or You Are Me / In Lak'ech

By Luis Valdez

You are my other me.
If I do harm to you,
I do harm to myself.
If I love and respect you,
I love and respect myself.

Tú eres mi otro yo.
Si te hago daño a ti,
Me hago daño a mi mismo.
Si te amo y respeto,
Me amo y respeto yo.


This poem, written by Chicano playwright Luis Valdez, is part of a larger work, Pensamiento Serpentino. The poem draws heavily from Mayan philospophy and the Maya-Quiche origin myth El Popol Vuh.


Looking for more teaching materials?
Search the Classroom Resource Library to browse resources by grade level, resource type, theme, and country.


Next
Next

The Earth is a Satellite of the Moon / La Tierra Es Un Satelite De La Luna