We Raised You

My griot TOLD me
We celebrate
EL DIA DE LA RAZA!
explaining how AGUELOS mother
Was TAINA..CON LA PIEL DE CANELA
and that beautiful long hair…
covering her back
like a queen’s royal gown…

I used to wash it, comb it,
and twist it into the crown she wore
while watching the creator’s wonders rise and set.

She TAUGHT me
about my 3xgreat grandfather
a handsome preacher Man…
un ESPANOL ALTO!
as tall as the horse he rode
on his wedding day…
who used his divine PRAYERS, to catch snakes.

I learned the story
of El TUCO snake!
which came calling
for my TATARA VISA AGUELO,

A preacher.

Not a southern GRITS, EGGS and HAM preacher,
who has the congregation swaying
like JONAH in that ship,
but an island VIANDA and VERDURA preacher,
that fills the aisle wit the HOLY GHOST
and spends the afternoon fanning the congregration.

The story began with a
young snake,
caught in between MACHETE strikes
on a BURNING afternoon
at the cane fields.

It ended with the TUCO on the yard
and the twenty country feet long
father GONE…
After! A three hour PRAYER
of SALVATION.

My griot TOLD me
we did not RAISED you
that way!

Love-less
Faith-less
Culture-less

She Said!

LOVE UP
PRAY UP
WAKE UP

‘Cause,
we’ll always raise you up straight
and now it’s YOUR turn,
to keep the winds whispering…
OUR WAYS.

Ricardo Nazario-Colon

Ricardo Nazario-Colon reads "We Raised You" (requires Quicktime)