"Gritos"

It lies beyond even the proverbial " heart" -though the heart is good it can be fickle... and it is not of the gut though the word " gutsy" applies- it lies deeper still. It is core, in the blood, like collective memory. It is felt with the body as a whole- is of sweat and viscera sensual as skin. It is a primal howl lusty yet fierce, animalistic but pure as a newborn's cry. It is a sounds- vibrant an exultation of joy or of anguish- the moan of the wounded. It is born of instinct bursts forth unchecked- is wild like fire. * Note- the " grito" refers to a distinct, exuberant " yell" of the Mexican culture... it is really more than a yell, it is an expression of raw emotion. Part cowboy's whoop, part Marine " oorah," it can only be truly understood through a familiarity with the culture. A well know Texas poet, Irene Silva actually taught a workshop on this topic as a writing prompt.