Special Thanks, once again, go to Almudena's mom, Mina Tostado, for these beautiful verses she has composed specially for Almudena. I've also translated the poems from Spanish into English, therefore, there may not be rhyme in the translated verses.
It's wonderful to read this precious poems where you can appreciate Mina's love, pride and admiration for her daughter. Thank you very much Mina!


 
"Your whole life devoted to gymnastics"

Your career begins
and almost without experience
you reach Atlanta!

You advance.

You trip, you stand up,
you throw the hoop and...
Sydney hugs you!

And you advance!

¿And where is your heaven?
At the Olympus!
not in the grief.

"You're like Phoenix Bird
you reborn from your ashes"

Poem and montage by Mina Tostado
 


 
"¡En Sevilla!"

(Dedicado a Almudena Cid por su actuación en el Mundial de Sevilla)

Hiciste tan buena faena,
que con las palmas y olés
y a tu lado la Macarena
¡se puso Sevilla a tus pies!

¡Ay! Que elegancia torera.
Nos quitaste el sentío.
Noy hay ninguna extranjera
con más garbo y más tronío.

Con el mundo por montera
y bajo el manto del rocío, 
le diste a nuestra bandera
honor, casta... ¡y señorío!

De su mejor admiradora.

 

 "In Seville!"

(Dedicated to Almudena Cid for her performance at the 98 Worlds of Seville)

You did such a good work,
that with the clapping and "olés"
and by your side the Macarena
Seville was put at your feet!

"Ay!" what a "bullfighting" elegance.
You took our breath away.
There isn't any foreign (gymnast)
with more gracefulness and more display.

Without caring what people think
and under the mantle of dew,
you gave to our flag
honour, lineage and... nobility!

By her best admirer (of course, her mom :-) )
 


 
"Algo más que una gimnasta"

En Atlanta... una niña!
En Sevilla... una gitana!
En Zaragoza... una estrella!
And in Córdoba... una sultana!

Mina Tostado

 "More than a gymnast"

In Atlanta... a child!
In Seville... a gipsy!
In Zaragoza... a star!
And in Córdoba... a sultana!

Mina Tostado


 
"Despedida"

Estrella de mi firmamento,
flor blanca de primavera
ha llegado tu momento
de tocar la alta esfera.

Te encontrarás como un barco
en un huracán perdido,
pero arribarás a puerto 
y ¡AL FIN! lo habrás conseguido.

Serás roble en la llanura
y corriente en la ribera
y águila en la alta cumbre
donde allí muy pocas llegan.

Te vas, pero al mismo tiempo,
te quedas en mi recuerdo
yo estaré cerca de ti
en el aire... en el viento.

Peonza de colorines;
cisne de elegancia y suerte;
equilibrio sin medida;
salto de gacela ardiente.

Mi métrica no es maravilla
pero te quiero desmotrar
que en el laberinto de la vida
siempre encontraras salida
a donde quieras llegar.

Mina Tostado (1995)

 "Farewell"

Star of my firmament,
white Spring flower
your moment has arrived 
to touch the high sphere.

You'll find yourself as a ship
lost in a hurricane,
but you'll arrive in a shipyard
and at last! you'll have got it.

You'll be oak tree on the plain
and stream in the bank
and eagle on the high summit
where very few arrive.

You leave, but at the same time,
you remain in my memory
I'll be near you
in the air... in the wind.

Multi coloured top;
swan of elegance and luck;
balance without measurement;
jump of gazelle.

My metrics are no marvel
but I want to demonstrate you
that in the labyrinth of life
you'll always find exit
wherever you want to arrive.

Mina Tostado (1995)

 

©Emi Martín
© All poems wirtten by Mina Tostado