red star (for Fidel)
by
‘bro. zayid’
“The Cuban Revolution! That’s a
revolution!
They overturned the system!...”
Malcolm X, Message to the
Grassroots
“People/ make the/ world go
‘round…”
People Make The World Go ‘Round,
The Stylistics (1973)
Comandante
Fidel has decided
that
it was time that he left us…
after
showing an impoverished
but
pretty people
how
the wealth and power
of
unity and principle
courage
and creativity
collective
work and solidarity
can
transform their lives…
after
refusing to say ‘uncle’
to
that bully of empire that is ‘uncle sam’…
after
the turning Cold War pawns of the Cuban people
into
Carlotta knighted warriors
checkmating
Apartheid in their own blood in battle...
into
rhumba rocking raging rooks
and
agents of change…
after
nine decades of defiance and dignity…
nine
decades…nine decades!...
Comandante
Fidel has decided
that
it was time that he left us…
And
so he did…
on
wings whirlwind wide
lifted
by lyrics of Guillen, of Neruda
of
Corretjer, or Matos Paoli,
of
Baraka, of Cortez…
of
his Colombian companero
Gabriel
Garcia marquez…
the
man with the beard
tall
eyes and long lungs
has
left us…
on
wings whirlwind wide
flying
high with a gallant green-fatigued stride
guided
by that white dove
seeking
that ultimate love from up above…
in
pursuit of a place
pain
free disease free
exploitation
and strife free…
a
place well beyond the cia sinister dead presidents
and
soon to be dead presidents
a
place beyond casualties
and
the trauma of war…
a
cane sugar sweet place…
a
place of peace
an
eternal harvest and feast…
a
place where he is now
a
cherished new red star
blazin
bold in a liberated blue sky…
he
has left us…
for
a place of memory
and
the kiss and taste of eternal justice and victory
to
meet and kneel before Maceo and Marti
to
reunite with Che’
and
to be received with an ovation
by
a column of martyrs and the revolutionary departed…
he
has left us
for
that place that chiseled him into a cherished
brand
new red star
forever
burning bright in a liberated blue sky…
so
in this moment
as
we wring our eyes of the truth of his new absence
as
we face these clear and present dangers
as
familiar and as sinister as ever
we
remember what we have done
together
with
our own hands and hearts while he was with us…
what
we did together
no
matter the obstacles or hostilities
and
we say ’yo soy Fidel’*… ‘I am Fidel’
and
we continue…
against
the tyranny and tantrum
that
is this backwards blockade and empire
we
continue and we say
‘yo soy Fidel’ …’I am Fidel!...
against
the evil of poverty and treatable disease
we
snap the wrists of this order of exploitation
responsible
for that needless suffering
and
we say ‘yo soy Fidel’...’ I am Fidel’!
against
the rot of racism
that
engenders hate, torture, mass suffering,
genocide
and death…
against
the sickness of sexism
that
barbarically violates women and girls
deforming
and stunting all human development
we
continue and we say
‘yo soy Fidel’…’I am Fidel!...
against
the gloating of the global pharmaceutical complex
taunting
the suffering with their high prices and flippancy
against
the seductive mischiefmaking of the marketeers
against
the handshaking deceit of the vampires of capital
we
continue and we say
‘yo soy Fidel’ …’I am Fidel’!...
so
now that he has left us with our history and heritage
of
hope
full
in our hands
we
continue
continue
to provide sanctuary from the empire’s persecuted…
continue
to build and fight for human development
to
meet human needs wherever there is suffering
continue
to share everything we have
no
matter how meager as a matter of principle…
as
the profiteers
cringe
at
our refusal to capitulate
as
we sing dance train and fight
to
their dismay
to
our delight
we
continue…
with
the light of Che’ in our eyes
inspired
by Fidel’s blazing brand new red star
shining
in a liberated blue sky
we
continue!...
and
we say
‘yo soy Fidel’… ‘I am Fidel’!
from
our oldest and most battle borne
to
our youngest between school and play
from
our hotel workers patient with the petty of tourists
to
compesinos proudly working their land
from
lovers strolling the malecon
to
our most advanced itchings of science
revolutionary
and natural…
from
the singing sierra maestra mountains
to
the muscular cuddle of the countryside…
we
continue and we say
‘yo soy Fidel
‘yo soy Fidel
‘yo soy Fidel!’…
‘I
am Fidel
‘I
am Fidel
‘I
am Fidel!’
and
we continue!...
“but that’s what makes the world
go round
the up and down the carousel…
“changing people’s heads around
go underground, young man!...
“people make the world go round!...”
‘Yo soy Fidel’ (trans. ‘I am
Fidel’)
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