I see a time of Seven Generations when all the colors of mankind will gather under the Sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again.
~ Lakota Blessing
…
today, I asked the dictionary a question,
how do you define Love?
it gave me a bunch of answers:
a profoundly tender, passionate
affection for another
a feeling of warm personal attachment
or deep affection, as for a parent,
child, or friend
sexual passion or desire
then, I posed the same question
to the coconut palm trees
of my jewel of a pueblo, Loíza
their roots digging deeper into the soil,
softly whispered, “it is a vow of
enduring commitment to let us stay”
their towering trunks slowly swaying
in the cool Caribbean breeze, murmured,
“it means to hold our destroyers responsible
for the greed of taking a land not theirs”
those long and slender leaves tickling
each other with the passing of the wind,
cried, “it is a promise to not replace us
with cement and stone”
my gaze holding their magnificence,
I was left wondering how much longer
these beautiful bailarinas will be allowed to stay
on what is theirs — la madre tierra de Borikén
but I know that the dictionary cannot hear
the sobbing of this Madre Tierra
and I realize that the world is losing its humanity
I also understand that today
is yesterday’s tomorrow,
and there will be many more todays
with the same impossible question about Love
in this riddle that is life, perhaps
there is no answer…..
still, I hold hope in my heart
that without defining the indefinable
the verdant nature of this precious pueblo,
and of the entire archipelago (+ our planet)
will survive all of the destruction
because Love is a reminder of our humanity
it’s what makes our world a kinder place
and our existence depends on nurturing more of it
…
Originally crafted in February 2022, this piece has stayed in my mind and today I made a few edits: adding the stanza beginning ‘my gaze,’ including ‘coconut’ to palm trees, and re-working the two last stanzas.
Note: the reference to ‘beautiful ballerinas’ (‘bailarinas’ en español) is borrowed from the original concept from the Puerto Rican iconic artist, Don Castor Ayala.
…
Gracias for reading.
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Check out my travel blog, La Trekista as well as my recently updated business website, Lola’s Lines.
…
Acknowledging the Arawak, the First Peoples of Borikén, on whose unceded lands my work is created. In gratitude for and in honor of our Elders, past, present, and emerging. May my work always unapologetically and boldly uplift our wondrous Indigenous Taíno, Iñeri, and African roots.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
What Does Being in Love and Loving Someone Really Mean? | My 9-Year-Old Accidentally Explained Why His Mom Divorced Me | The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex | The Internal Struggle Men Battle in Silence |
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Photo credit: Louie Martinez via Unsplash