Castro"s Cst

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Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Castro"s Cst

#1 Post by Kenneth2816 » 24 May 2018, 06:01

When I was seven my Papa had a butcher shop on Paseo del Prado Old Havana.

It was open-air, on the streets and he hung ropes of blood sausage filled
with chicken, goat meat, and hot peppers, wreaths of short neck garlic
with the green bolts platted like hair,

Pork sides on hooks, a quarter of beef, some swordfish steaks, bonito
with the heads still on


Each morning he gave
me a nickel and I ran through the streets in my white dress,pushing
a wheel barrow
to the ice man, watched
him bust up a block
with a wooden mallet.

Papa ran bolita for the Police because everyone knew him.

On Friday Abakuá lined up, old men skin black as Bibles, their belief a mix of Catholic and Santeria.

They clucked like hens
pressing copper into
Papa's hand, made the sign of the Cross after they chose numbers.

At night men would collect the slips and cash. Papa got nothing.
This was Cuba. Everybody paid. They
called it "feeding Batista's cat."

After the revolution
livestock was property of the state and food
was rationed El chivara were everywhere in those days. and snitched for money.
Papa was arrested for
taking meat from his own shop. They beat him but he would not
tell them anything.

One day I ran to the shop to hug my Papa,
pressed my face. Blood from his apron was on my cheek. He laughed,lifted me in the air, wet his thumb and smudged it off.

The communist would come to our home at night, drive Papa to the shop, make him wrap the choice meat in newspaper. He never let me go.

I asked him once what he wad doing. He pulled me onto his lap and
whispered. " I was feeding Castro's cat."

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: Castro"s Cst

#2 Post by BobBradshaw » 24 May 2018, 21:15

Another superb poem....I will get back to it later with more comments

Bernie01
Posts: 777
Joined: 30 Jul 2015, 11:14

Re: Castro"s Cst

#3 Post by Bernie01 » 24 May 2018, 21:43

Ken---


rave review from my end of the known universe.

love this line:


On Friday Abakuá lined up, old men skin black as Bibles, their belief a mix of Catholic and Santeria.


bernie

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: Castro"s Cst

#4 Post by Kenneth2816 » 25 May 2018, 01:08

It's new territory for me. Frank has this kind of stuff down pat.I need to know if it works, too showy, etc. Im going to do a set of these but not if they're boring. Any suggestions would be appreciated

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: Castro"s Cst

#5 Post by BobBradshaw » 25 May 2018, 03:33

Terrific writing. Right from the start you immerse us into the locale:

It was open-air, on the streets and he hung ropes of blood sausage filled
with chicken, goat meat, and hot peppers, wreaths of short neck garlic
with the green bolts platted like hair

and it all ends on an endearing note:

I asked him once what he wad doing. He pulled me onto his lap and
whispered. " I was feeding Castro's cat."

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: Castro"s Cst

#6 Post by FranktheFrank » 25 May 2018, 13:30

You are an excellent poet,
if this form of narrative is new to you,
then a very good start. We can think our lives
are quite mundane, but to others they can be
fascinating, especially when writers write from
personal experience. There is power in that,
real power. I found the read fascinating, what
would I know about: 1. Castro and 2. Cuba, here
your writing is fresh and knowledgeable.
Keep at it, well done.

p.s. Please edit your line lengths.

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: Castro"s Cst

#7 Post by Kenneth2816 » 25 May 2018, 16:00

Thanks Frank. formatting on this site never comes out as I intend.

What's new is writing as a young girl.
I've never been to Cuba. It's not my experience. Mostly I write from my stuff

FranktheFrank
Posts: 1983
Joined: 02 Mar 2016, 18:07
Location: Between the mountains and the sea

Re: Castro"s Cst

#8 Post by FranktheFrank » 26 May 2018, 13:21

When I was seven Papa ran
an open-air butcher's stall
on the Paseo del Prado,
Old Havana.

He hung ropes of blood sausage filled
with: chicken, goat meat, and hot peppers,
wreaths of short neck garlic with the green bolts
platted like hair, pork sides on hooks,
a quarter of beef, some swordfish steaks,
and bonito with the heads intact.

Each morning he gave me a nickel
I would run through the streets
in my white dress, pushing
a wheel barrow to the ice man,
to watch him bust up a block
of pure ice with a mallet.

Papa ran bolita for the Police,
everyone knew him. On Fridays,
A bakuá lined up old men, skins black
as Bibles, their belief a mix of Catholic
and Santeria.

They clucked like hens, pressed
copper into Papa's hand, made
him make the sign of the Cross
after they chose their numbers.

At night men would collect
the slips and cash. Papa got nothing.
This was Cuba. Everybody paid.
They called it, "Feeding Batista's cat."

After the revolution, livestock
was the property of the state.
Food was rationed. El chivara
were everywhere in those days
and snitched for money.
Papa was arrested for taking meat
from his own shop. They beat
him blue but he would not
tell them anything.

One day, I ran to the shop to hug Papa,
pressed my face against his apron. Blood
blotted my cheek. He laughed when he saw,
lifted me in the air, wet his thumb
to smudge it off.

The communists would come to our home
at night, drive Papa to the shop, make
him wrap the choice meat in newspaper.
He never let me go.

I asked him once what he was doing.
He pulled me onto his lap and
whispered,
"I am feeding Castro's cat."

******
Ken
Excuse me editing your fine poem
is this a bit better for grammar
and punctuation, and line lengths.

BobBradshaw
Posts: 2683
Joined: 03 Jun 2016, 21:03

Re: Castro"s Cst

#9 Post by BobBradshaw » 26 May 2018, 20:43

Frank, I like these lines:
pressed my face against his apron. Blood
blotted my cheek. He laughed when he saw,
lifted me in the air, wet his thumb
to smudge it off.

Kenneth2816
Posts: 1619
Joined: 01 Jun 2008, 09:17

Re: Castro"s Cst

#10 Post by Kenneth2816 » 27 May 2018, 13:55

Thanks Frank, Bob

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