Hailing from the culturally rich land of Yucatán, Mexico, Fer de la Cruz is a poet, literary scholar, and translator whose work bridges the ancient and the contemporary, the lyrical and the political. A prolific writer, he has authored more than twenty books, encompassing poetry in its diverse forms—lyrical, satirical, and children’s verse—alongside narrative works and literary translations. His poetry, infused with a deep ecological consciousness and a reverence for indigenous traditions, interrogates humanity’s relationship with language, nature, and identity.
His latest poetry collection, “Pero el mar no es de fiar” (2023), showcases a selection of new and previously published poems, reinforcing his place as one of the most thought-provoking poetic voices from Latin America. However, his literary pursuits are not confined to poetry alone. As a translator, he has embarked on an ambitious and groundbreaking project: a Spanish verse translation of the Popol Wuj, titled “El Popol Wuj desde el antropoceno”, offering a cosmopolitical perspective on the foundational text of the K’iche’ Maya civilization.
A PIONEER OF POETIC EXPRESSION IN YUCATÁN
Fer de la Cruz’s impact on the literary and cultural landscape of Yucatán extends beyond his written work. As a founding faculty member of the School of Creative Writing at the State Center of Fine Arts, he has nurtured and mentored a new generation of poets and writers. His commitment to democratizing poetry led him to introduce open-mic poetry readings to Yucatán, hosting a weekly event from 2008 to 2013, providing a platform for emerging voices in the region.
His poetry has transcended borders, with invitations to participate in numerous poetry festivals in France, Cuba, the United States, and various parts of Mexico, where his readings resonate with audiences drawn to his evocative and socially conscious verse.
ACADEMIC PURSUITS: POETRY, ORALITY, AND COSMOPOLITICS
Currently pursuing a PhD in Spanish at the University of California, Irvine, Fer de la Cruz is deeply engaged in exploring the intersections of indigenous poetics, orality, and cosmopolitics. His dissertation, “Múul kuxtal: Cosmopolítica y oralidad en la poesía maya contemporánea,” examines the evolving role of contemporary Maya poetry as a site of resistance, cultural reclamation, and ecological philosophy. With a master’s degree from Ohio University, he brings a unique transdisciplinary approach to his academic and creative work, positioning him at the vanguard of scholarship on indigenous literatures.
CH’AJ: THE DROPLET AS A METAPHOR FOR LIFE
Among Fer de la Cruz’s many poetic contributions, “Ch’aj: Drop of Life” stands out as a powerful meditation on water—its sanctity, its exploitation, and its enduring essence. Through these verses, he delves into the forgotten language of nature, questioning the human tendency to devalue what sustains us.
“Nothing”
In this poem, Fer de la Cruz explores the linguistic erasure of water, contemplating how different beings might name a single body of water—from the fish and the jaguar to the rain and the sun—only for humanity to reduce it to “nothing.” The poem exposes the violence of naming and misnaming, as natural spaces are dismissed as mere waste or puddles, revealing how language itself can contribute to environmental degradation.
“Drop of Life”
Here, the poet traces the journey of a droplet—ch’aj in Yucatec Maya—through time and space, highlighting how it remains indifferent to human destruction yet continues its inevitable cycle of renewal. The refrain of “ch’aj”, repeated rhythmically, evokes the continuity of water despite contamination and displacement, a poetic invocation of resilience and sacred interconnectedness.
Through these verses, Fer de la Cruz revives the voices of the elements, urging readers to listen to what nature has always spoken, yet humans have failed to hear.
A LEGACY OF RESISTANCE AND RECLAMATION
Fer de la Cruz’s work embodies a profound commitment to poetic resistance. Whether through his translations of ancient texts, his original poetry, or his academic endeavors, he continues to challenge dominant narratives, reclaiming indigenous knowledge and cosmologies that have been systematically silenced.
In an era of climate crisis and cultural homogenization, his voice emerges as a bridge—between past and present, between word and world, between erasure and remembrance. Through his poetry, the water speaks again, and in listening, we are reminded of what it means to belong to the earth.
