Upon the Death of the Poet’s Brother: ‘Gathering in the Names’ by Martin Hill Ortiz

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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).