Margarita Engle
Native martyrs are posed on high pedestals
facing inland – Antonio Maceo, Jose Marti
insularity of the interior’s imagination.
Foreign-born heroes must turn their brave steeds
toward ocean waves, a dream of distance –
home.
Visitors are confined to green parks
Abe Lincoln, Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, John Lennon
all are sheltered by banyans and flame trees
a wild maze of lush blossoms
no glimpse of wide shoreline
no passport or visa
never a path of escape
to the sea.
Libertad Ficticia
Hernando Rico Sanchez