Tita Briseno Wins Sister Cities' Puerto Vallarta Poetry Contest

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Tita Briseño Castaneda's Vallarta de mis Amores won first place in a Poetry Exchange contest in honor of Puerto Vallarta, organized by the municipal government and the Sister Cities Committee to promote fellowship through poetry amongst the cities of Highland Park, United States; Modena, Italy; and Yerucham, Israel.

Second place went to Hector Cancino's Un Puerto de Bondad, and third place went to Luz Garibaldi with Mi Cómplice. The winning poems will be published in a commemorative book.

The central theme of all the poems was the city of Puerto Vallarta, its evolution and environment. Forty poems were assessed, all of which were selected by the contest's judge, writer and professor, Enrique Lepe. The awards ceremony will be held on August 3.

Tita Briseño Castañeda won the Poetry Exchange with a simple poem that condenses her memories, her time in Vallarta, and her love of the town, its people, and the sea. She proudly boasts being born in "the very heart of the city, near the most beautiful bridge in Vallarta, the Rio Cuale bridge."

Since childhood Tita has had the need to write about the city where she grew up. Without any training, only the lyrics of her experiences, she draws her inspiration from music, which runs in her veins because her father was a member of Mariachi Los Pipianes and the local orchestra, La Tropical.

She prefers romantic music that relaxes you and evokes experiences. Simply and naturally she reflects: "I do not write when I want to, only when I am inspired."

For Tita, winning is a joy that she shares with her father and, of course, her beloved Vallarta. "I long for the Old Vallarta but, despite its growth, my town maintains its essence... more beautiful each day because it was born to be great."

Vallarta de mis Amores

Vallarta de mis amores, tan llena de inspiración, quiero decirte que te amo, con todo mi corazón. Eres Vallarta bonita, eres regalo de Dios, con tus lindas mañanitas, con tus rayitos de sol.
Vallarta linda y querida, mi poesía te dejo hoy para que adornes tus playas, tu iglesia, tu malecón. Como Vallarta señores, como Vallarta no hay dos, cuando Dios hizo la tierra, en Vallarta se esmeró de bellezas naturales, con sus ríos, su mar y sol.
Puerto Vallarta querido, cuanto te amo yo, sigue creciendo bonita, tan llena de admiración. Vallarta de mis amores, de las puestas de sol la mejor, desde que recuerdo te amo, desde niña te admiré, muy orgullosa de mi tierra, Vallarta no te soñé. Sigues creciendo bonita, sigues estando de pié.

Vallarta My Beloved

"Vallarta my beloved, so full of inspiration, I want to tell you that I love you with all of my heart. Puerto Vallarta you are so beautiful, you are God's gift, with your pretty mornings filled with sunbeams.

Vallarta beautiful and beloved, my poetry I give you today in admiration of your beaches, your church, your pier. Like Vallarta gentlemen, there are no two Vallartas, when God made the earth, he took pains to give you natural beauty, your rivers, your sea and sun.

My dear Puerto Vallarta, how much I love you, you continue to grow beautiful, I'm so full of admiration. Vallarta my beloved, with your beautiful sunsets, I've loved you ever since I can remember, I've admired you since childhood, I'm very proud of my town, Do not sleep, Vallarta. Keep growing beautiful, keep standing tall."

Original article translated and edited by Marie Callan for BanderasNews.com.