His life, he says, is filled with abundance, despite some unfortunate twists and turns along the way. Writing about life experiences allows reflection and release. “I’m in love with words,” he said. “Living the life of others through their culture, their music, allows me to express myself, express things—happy or sad. It gives me great satisfaction.”

As a teacher, communication is key, and he emphasizes to his high school students the power of those words, spoken or written. As a world traveler, he now speaks five languages: English, Spanish Italian, French and Greek.

“I don’t know what it means to have a summer in New York,” he said. As school shuts down for the summer, he slips into a different realm, from teacher to world student, traveling to appreciate another culture, expand his horizons and document his experiences in the fluidity of poetry.

Turning Points

Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey by an uncle, he came without his four siblings and parents to finish high school. He worked in factories to earn a living and help his family. “It was sink or swim,” Bravo explained. He knew education would offer more opportunities. “It also helped me realize I didn’t want to spend my life working there.”

Once Bravo made up his mind that education was his golden ticket, he happened upon Dr. José López-Isa, dean of instruction at Bergen Community College.  There are those people who offer a real glimpse of possibility to what was once just a glimmer of hope. López-Isa, who would later become president of the college, was that person. He developed a Spanish immersion summer program at the University of Madrid and pulled Bravo in to work it.

The exposure started Bravo’s love of language and culture. The following year, Bravo became a group leader. Similar programs opened in France and Italy, and Bravo signed on. He ended up working for López-Isa for 15 years.

“I’m very proud of him,” López-Isa explained. “I relied on him. His confidence grew. He could go far.” López-Isa urged him to continue his studies.

“He had faith in me,” Bravo said. Speaking five languages fluently helped Bravo decide he wanted to become a diplomat. “I was accepted to Georgetown, Princeton and New York University on full scholarship to study diplomacy.”

Life’s Twists And Turns

His course of action changed forever, however, when he was in a major car accident in 1990. The friend who was driving had an epileptic seizure and crashed. Bravo’s injuries were severe with broken bones in his feet, knees and face. He fell into a coma. It would take two reconstructive plastic surgeries on his face over the next few years.

The psychological impact was as severe as the physical. “You question yourself,” Bravo said. “But I have deep faith. Everything happens for a reason. What I believed was that I was given another chance.”

Eventually, he returned to school and earned a master’s in education. He currently teaches at Stuyvesant High School, one of the best, most progressive schools around, he says. Now when he sees students struggling and not wanting to study, Bravo tells them, “If I can do it, you can do it—but the opportunity comes from within, not from any institution.”

Abundance In A Different Form

Second chances brought Bravo to take a leap of faith. He never thought he’d publish his poetry, yet, he wanted people to listen to what he had to say. “My experience is like everyone else’s. My love is love. Pain is pain. It comes from the heart. It happens in sporadic moments—in the rhyme and musicality of the moment. Still, I feel naked in front of them, baring myself, baring my soul.”

The moments speak volumes. In a bus in Bogota, for example, a woman was being abused. “It was sad, frustrating. Everyone was silent.” He reached for a napkin and started writing. “Why do we have to be monsters, when we are in the light? We look horrible in front of the world, like wounded sparrows.”

One of his students brought attention to his poetry and asked him to read at their graduation. “They like ‘Chakra de Corazón.’ And ‘Negra’—she can only express, through the color of her skin, her feelings…”

Mario Riveros, a musician-friend from one of the summer programs in Madrid, urged Bravo to let him put music to the poems. A CD was born. “Mario had a young and energetic sound,” Bravo said. “I felt moved and honored when I first heard my poems to music.”

While working in the fields in Greece, Bravo came across fig trees. He took the photo that would become the cover of the book and CD. The title “AMBROSÍA: A MANOS LLENAS” also was inspired by the fig. “Figs make a little wine. Ambrosía is blessings from the gods, a nectar they didn’t normally share with humans.

“A manos llenas is a metaphorical way of explaining all the good that can come to us—an abundance. With full hands, we are blessed.”

Bravo sees his life in a “manos llenas” mentality. It started with one Spanish-immersion program at Bergen. “I’m very proud of my education,” he said. “It’s led me to this life I love.” •