Poems by Rufino Colón

Poems by

Rufino Colón

FEAR! FEAR!

Back to you— You enslaved me with drugs. Back to you— You made me feel dumb when I was a child. Back to you— You made me feel not good enough as an adult. Back to you— Even today, you creep into my mind and create doubt. Back to you— But you don’t own me anymore. So again, back to you— Goodbye. I hope you don’t find anyone to spook anymore.

Bye-bye!

NIGHT!

Night, lovely night, when I can say what I dare not say during the day Night, lovely night, when I can look into your eyes and see the stars Night, lovely night, with your beautiful dark Spanish eyes Night, lovely night, so lovely that even the sun takes time off to let you shine Night, lovely night, they say you drape mystery, but truth be told, that’s when all is revealed

THE GREAT THINKERS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

You know, the ones who think that if you don’t give out condoms, young people won’t have sex. You know, the ones who think that if you don’t give out clean-needle kits, people won’t shoot drugs. You know, the ones who think that if you don’t think a certain way, you’re an enemy of the state. You know, the ones who think that if you don’t praise their God, you are going to hell. You know, the ones who think that if you don’t love who they think you should love, you’re a sinner. You know, the ones who think that if you don’t love war for the sake of your country, you’re unpatriotic. You know, the ones who think that HIV/AIDS was God’s punishment for our sins.

ODE TO EVELYN

Mom and Dad loved you like their own. I didn’t know then what I know now: you were an investment for their son. Without knowing it, they were grooming you to be my guardian angel. God has His own plan and I thank Him every day for keeping you in my life. When I was at my lowest, as painful as it was for you, you never turned away. I saw the pain in your eyes that day in Bushwick, and the only way I can make it up to you is to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And the only way to do that is not to revisit that hell again. Being the best person I can be today is the best way I can say, I’m sorry.

Thank you, my beloved sister.

LA PELA

This is the place where the sea sings to you, the tropical breezes caress your body like a sleepy lover, people go to bed hungry, children are under-educated—

It stands in the shadow of El Morro, the most recognized structure in Puerto Rico— Where thugs come to die, Where hope dies every night and is reborn every morning. Where dreams are fabricated— some are realized and some are washed away by the sea. Where I almost stopped dreaming. I thank God that it was not in His plans.

LOVE!

Love will buckle the strong man’s knees and render a wise man to foolishness, face washed with tears. Love makes countries go to war (Helen of Troy). Love will raise you to new heights or bring you crashing down like a fighter jet shot out of the sky. Love will make you reach back to pull what can’t be relived to the present. Sometimes past loves are not meant to be forgotten. Love has created great people who have died for their people. We call them heroes, but I say these are people whose love has overcome their fears. But the greatest love, besides God’s love, is a mother’s love for her child. Love changes everything but itself.

A HEART DENIED

A heart denied love is nothing but an organ that pumps red venom throughout the body A venom that looks at a child’s innocence with suspicion A venom that hears only noise when a bird sings A venom who plays Scrooge at Christmas, without trying A venom that sees a cold nuisance when viewing untrammeled snow A venom that sees differences, races, religions, and genders in people as something to hate