Epiphany

Tuesday,
the 6th of January

was the first day

of Epiphany, also known

as Three Kings Day;

the day when the the Magi,

the three kings from afar,

following the star from the East,

arrived in Bethlehem.

The citizens of Antigua

celebrated with big

booming bombas

and strings of firecrackers.

No laser-guided bombs,

No wannabe king lusting

for oil and dominion.

A giant 3D star of glass

and metal that glows

blue through the night

rests in the plaza

in front of this posada

that belongs to a convent.

Smoky air from some

distant fire veils the volcanos

that tower above the city.

The bangs that echo

in the stone paved streets

rhyme in my mind with

the sound of the guns

when death squads trained

by the United States

killed tens of thousands

of people in the thirty

years of cvil war.

On Thursday, the eighth

of January, the smoke

was gone and the plaza

was warm and sunny.

I saw a woman walking

a cat on a leash.

He sniffed at trees

and the straggly grass.

I asked the woman if I

could take a photo

of her and her cat.

Yes, of course she replied

and she introduced herself,

Maria, and her cat, Nala.

I said Mucho gusto,

pleased to meet you.

Then we talked about cats

and the English tutoring

program at the posada

that I was participating in.

Food, politics, both local

and global, family.

The sun was not the sole

source of the warmth.

Her eleven year old son, Tony,

took the cat to his favorite

trees, avoiding the ones with

strings of festive lights.

Her boyTony, who was wearing

a Mexican soccer uniform

and a red cape grew restless.

Maria said he has ADHD,

but has finally found a school

that treats him kindly.

Her cousin entered the park

leading her blind grandmother.

They live nearby as well.

Introductions were made

then we said we would

watch for each other

on another day and if I return

next December, she would

cook chile rellenos for me.

Hasta la vista, Maria, Tony

 and Nala the cat on a leash.