I came to Cuba and looked to the sky.

I knew I wouldn’t sense your presence in the clouds –

Pallid and staid, they’d never contain your sparkle.

But I looked anyway,

Hoping to catch you

Like I sometimes imagine I do

From the corner of my eye.

*

I came to Cuba and sipped some rum.

I knew I wouldn’t mistake a stranger in a bar for you –

You who staggered  from the mere scent of wine

And said your friends “drank like fish”

Because they had a cocktail before dinner.

But I looked anyway,

Hoping to glimpse your reflection in my glass,

A tender play of light to grant my wish.

*

I came to Cuba and swayed to the rhythms of the street.

I knew I wouldn’t see you dancing;

Even trumpets and timbales couldn’t bring you back.

But I looked anyway,

Remembering how you used to glide,

A grandchild perched upon your feet.

*

I came to Cuba to see the place you first called home.

I didn’t know I’d recognize you in the wry smiles,

In the laugh lines from loving life despite itself,

In the crinkled, sun-soaked eyes,

In the kindness,

In the dignity,

But I did.

Tanto quiero!