BEATRIZ ALBA DEL RIO is a bilingual poet, lawyer and mediator. She has lived in Cambridge since 1982, a city she adores. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, an enchanted-busy place. Beatriz won the 1 st Prize of the 2002 Octavio Paz International Poetry Contest (Poem: " Ser " = " To be "), the 3 rd Prize of the 2003 Pablo Neruda International Poetry Contest (Poem " Tristesa de Abril "= " April blues "), the 2004 Cambridge Poetry Award with the poem " Masks over masks " in the category "Female Erotic Poem" and her poem " Black Crows " was nominated in the category "Female Love Poem", and the 3 rd prize in the 2007 New England Poetry Club's Der-Hovanessian Translation Contest (poem " Shapes of Grief " = " Formas de la Pena " de Mario Benedetti). Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies and literary magazines. Beatriz is a member of the New England Poetry Club. As a lawyer, Beatriz represents abused and neglected children and parents and resolves custody cases et al. She mediates conflicts between families and others, and does some international work. Beatriz is fluent in Spanish, English and French. She understands Portuguese and Italian. Beatriz' mission as a lawyer and as a mediator is to help people to create better lives and peace. Her poetry speaks of longings and the contradictions of different cultures. Some of her poems are songs to love and to the unity of us all. Beatriz translates poetry into English especially from Spanish and vice versa.