Holy Day
i am alone in the world and it has always
been this way bc i have isolated myself
thru years and years of patient efforts
dark wires encircle the globe
i am hiding in an embargoed nation
do you ever dream of a searcher
who will find you in yr hidden place?
at taberna la botija there are slave
implements on the walls as decor
a reminder of the sugar plantations
that first brought wealth to trinidad
the revolution destroyed that wealth
but of course the slaves are gone too
an old man stands at the window
holding cigars he tries to sell
in the santeria temple i left
an offering of 200 pesos to a dark saint
when i emerged from the temple
a crowd had gathered around a street dog
giving birth on a soiled mattress pad
bendito, bendito, bendito
La Distancia
i programmed havana with my dreams
the code is degrading and music is playing
art deco plaster facades crumble into the ocean
i am no longer able to control my environment
we recline in the shade of a beach palapa
in verradero we ate fish and pork
later we drank piña coladas at el mirador
overlooking the bacunayagua bridge
pink plaster is sliding off
my colonial mind into the sea
ppl are standing along the highways
holding pesos in the air
the more money they display
the farther they must go
Vas Bien, Fidel
eating pizza at a sidewalk cafe
along calle teniente rey
i felt a tap on my shoulder
a beggar boy around six or seven
offered to sell me a paper rose
he was shirtless at night in old havana
i declined the rose “no gracias”
he asked if i would buy a chela
i declined the beer
he asked for a slice of my pizza
a trio of cuban musicians played
bongos and a shrill trumpet
crowds passed on either side of our table
exhausted dancers pantomimed salsa
in hopes of a “regalito” from tourists
i told the boy twice “no tengo nada no tengo nada”
and turned back to my table while
he slipped away into the crowds
i ate my remaining pizza like ashes
then also disappeared into the passing throng
Wallace Barker lives in Austin, Texas. His most recent book Collected Poems 2009-2022 is available from Maximus Books. His debut poetry collection La Serenissima is available from Gob Pile Press. More of his work can be found at wallacebarker.com.
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