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.
