Guanabo

                        (Una profecia)

 

            The morning cocks and dogs

decorate the future of the world

                          as if known

                     soft  as  lace

                                          on the

                                    worn hem of the

                           Cuban child’s doll.   Here

@ the edge

                         of the tropical island

                                 compassion

                                                  is currency

                         certain as the man

                               who answers   YO!

                                  to  the  one

                                       word

                          question:  Ultimo?

 

         Until then morning

                         jugo  de   mango

                                      &

                memories  the  color  of  the  sky

                       as it meets the sea

                               off la playa

                                       de Varadero.

 

2

                              OYE!  again

                                   en el barrio

                          & the absence of heard

                              rhythm  replaced  by

                                     innate

                                             ritmo espiritual.

 

                                     Vendors

                             w/ cacahuates  in

                                            paper cones

                  Yusimi  eats  like  it’s

                            her  last  meal.

 

                Smuggled sake

                                        & the

                        revelation  of  dried  plums

                                         & spit

                                                     f

                                                     l

                                                     y

                                                     i

                                                     n

                                                     g

            propelled  in  the

                       plaza   de   Parque

                                      Central                               

                               by  the  blood

               filled   passion

                                   of

 

                              beisbol!

 

3

                     Porque la poesia une a las personas, a pesar de la distancia. Para Pablo de un amigo.

 

                                  90 miles

                                      is

                                 3  lifetimes

                                              & cerveza

                           cristal  &  handmade

                         bracelets of tobacco

                                     given to the

                                           Thunderbeing

                         who  animates  the  memory

                                      of  the  July  sky

                                     over Canada.

 

                                  90 miles

                                        & one cry

                         for Marisela!

                                               animates

                              the once sleeping

                                        perros

                                  who mirror

                                           the mind

                        prisoners   on each side

                                  of  the  Florida

                                       

                                        S

                                        t

                                        r

                                        a

                                        i

                                        t

                                        s

                                        .

 

4

                                  90 miles                                        

                                          separates  cocks

                        from Gusanos

                                        &

                                SUV’s from orange

                          white ’55 Bel Airs

                                                        propel

                       the museum

                                   of survival.

 

                                  90 miles

                                             Romano aqui

                            con  pollo  y  ritmo

                                  espiritual.

                                                    George alli

                                                 con

                                                 una intriga                                  

                          

                             sure  to  go  the  way

                                         of  all

                                            white

 

                                                f

                                                l

                                                e

                                                s

                                                h

                                                .

5

                        La Habana

                                         is  a  lot  like

                          REALITY

                                            only  w/  more

                               swaying palms

                                         who

                                             reveal

                         one more naked afternoon

                                                  breeze.

 

                        Embutido  at  la  Hotel

                                 Inglaterra

                                            & tennis

                             ball  beisbol

                                      in  the  Varadero

                                                sand

                                 before paella

                                          y pina coladas con ron

                                                     

                             & tears saved

                                      for a Grandmother’s

                                                      grave

 

                               & the taste

                                              of home

                                                    made

                                                      honey.

 

 

6

                                Imagine

                         you  are  where

                               pitches  can  only

                                       exist  con  una

                                           p

                                           e

                                           l

                                           o

                                           t

                                           a

                           & the iron in the dirt

                                         smoked makes a

                                                        buzz

                                           felt around the

                                                      world.           

 

                                Imagine   gravity

                          is  a  spiritual  rhythm

           

                               made  of  haiku

                                        and  cigar  smoke

                   

                            hipsway

                                          &  bloodfire

                                   and  big  white  clouds

                                               who move

                                almost as fast

                                       as a Cubano

                                              can

                                             t a l k.

 

7

                           The future – a  memory

                                    of  a  vision

                                        unvelied by

                                the smiling antepasado

                                        in  a  dream

                                          revealed

                                  by the one armed man

                                    behind the black/white mask.

           

                        El jardin  botanico

                                con hierbas –

                                              medicinal

                                         y pollos

                                              y perros

       

                         &  an  idea  realized

                                  by  watching  flight

                                                                          of aves de

                                                                                    rapiñas.

 

                        YES   books!

                                     the scent of jasmine,

                            goat cheese made

                                          despues des

                                             oraciones

                                     of elders

                                          who whistle

 

                                   Guantanamera

 

                                    & remember

                           to  take  time  to 

                                   breathe

                          & watch the deep blue Sunday

                              afternoon tropical sky.

 

8

                            Sky watching  &  origami

                                 crocodiles  smiling

                                       in una pintura

                                           Adigio

                                               conjured

                                      out of Cuban mud

                                          & sweat

                                     and resistance revealed

                                                  as

                                                  A

                                             ritmo espiritual

                                                                                    con café

                                                     y

                                                  bananas

                                     and  a  dream  world

                                           made  of  roosters

                                                       &

                                                     sand

   

                                    and three dollar bicycle

                                                    taxi rides

                                           con un taxista

                                               del nombre

                                             ISRAEL.

 

                               The mythic awakens

                                        in  the  market

                                           en  la  tarde

                                                in

                                   blue            white

                                           WAVES

                                              like

                                    where the Rio Guanabo

                                                meets el mar.

                        

9

                               Resistance in Cuba

                                      in  the  mud

                                       &  the blood

                                                            filled

                                      notion    hoy

                                         es  una  dia  bueno

                                                                  para morir.

                  

                                  Duende

                                           in   the  rooster’s

 

                               song

                                      in the hipsway

                                         of the negrita

                                                en La Habana

                                                            vieja.

 

                                  Duende

                                           in the old cars

                                            & cigar smoke

                                    wafts over Pinar del Rio.

 

                                  Duende

                                             as a morning

                                                         cocktail

                                      served by Orishas

                                             sweet as mojitos

                                                    en la Bodegita

                                                                   del Medio

 

                               and the smoking gun

                                            ate the rest

                                                     of Hemingway’s

                                                                    pain.

 

10

                                     Dreaming in Cuban

                                            now  -  perhaps

                                   all the jugo de mango

                                    or the rediscovery

                                            of café Cuban

                                               con azucar.

 

                                 Maybe the stuff

                                     of dreams was planted

                                        by una mascara Africano

                                                 con raices

                                                             Cubanas.

 

                                  Maybe the dream material

                                  ‘s made of the canto

                                      de gallo      o    de

                                       Esquela de Lesbia.

 

                                                  Turkey vulchers

                                                                SWIRL

                                        and somewhere there

                                                  is  a  granite floored

                                 casa

                                          East  of  the  need

                                                      to dominate

                                                        that smells

                                  like a field burning

                                          or a ritual to support

                                                  la poesia.

 

                               Somewhere the air is filled

                                          w/ dog barks & afternoon

                                              showers   & days

                                                      steeped en un

                                   natural   ritmo   espiritual.

                                          

                                  

 

 

 

                                                             10:21A – 3.2.05

                                                            Guanabo Beach

                                                          Penas Altas, Cuba