This is what war does—
to women—
makes them warriors—
cuts their breasts
stops the gushing
of their wombs—
changes their nails to
bayonets—
Their ocean
stops the waves
Their dance
invites the drum—
This is what war does
to war—
fails to butcher
peace—
This is what war does—
robs life
of lust—
plants explosives
on hope—
This is what war
does—
even before
it arrives—
shames the coward
in a million mirrors
hanged from
gore
Mariana Llanos is a Peruvian-born writer of children’s literature and poetry. As the daughter of two journalists, she developed and early passion for writing, reading and everything related to creative arts and communication. She studied Drama and Marketing, but soon after she moved to Oklahoma to start a family and a new life. In 2013, Mariana decided to self publish her first children’s book, Tristan Wolf, written originally in English. Tristan Wolf became a finalist in several independent books awards. She continued to self-published her next stories but also became interested in pursuing traditional publication. In 2016 she signed contract with Penny Candy Books for the publication of her upcoming children’s book Luca’s Bridge/El puente de Luca (April 2019). Mariana has won several awards for her work as a writer and as a global reading advocate. In 2017 she was awarded a recognition by the United Nations Association of Oklahoma and a Global Citizen in Arts Award by the World Experiences Foundation for her work promoting reading and empathy around the world.
