“Yazybatagua Lives”
(For Yasmín Hernández)
The first elements of her came from the essence of an intoxicating perfume extracted from a flower in the Lord’s garden
Which was his way of assuring that Love, Beauty
And a deep gentleness was at her root
For another part, he used a handful of the purest of fertile soil,
To provide color and a soft texture, but also to serve as a reminder
Of her beginnings and keep her grounded, if you will
Processing all this into his creation was clichéd filled
To be rough, yet delicate;
Simple, yet intricate
This blessed child was to be a passionate rebel
But a compassionate soul
A master of language and a superbly talented artist
To be as original as that which she would be creating,
An art of consistent reflections of her true self
And the ancestral souls residing within the temple of her body
She is a concentrated culmination, yet never a finished piece
Conveyer of a history and philosophy
of aboriginal and spiritual beliefs
Tempered by the strife and struggles
of a people who have survived
Despite throughout their existence, the multiple genocides
Yes, a Warrior Queen
Fit to lead in Battle, but also to Nurture
Being an example and training warriors for the future
Staunch and fearless in progressing “The Movement”
Creating and educating with abysmal positive inspiration
Fit to carry a torch for our great Taino Nation
Her weapon is a brutally sharp artistic Machete
That she swings with the fearlessness of Obatala & Oggun
The rebellious confidence of Chango
And the winded ferocity of the Hurakan’s of Oya!
She would open pathways with the ease of Elegua
My Respect for her is like one you’d have
For a wise grandmother or a tribal spiritual elder
Because she is also a mix of chunks
of spiritual guidance contained within
From the many heroes she cherishes, admires and exemplifies
She has the blue-flame fire of Lolita Lebron,
The unselfish sacrifice of a Dylcia Pagan
With the veracity of a Richie Perez
Tempered by the rational, humbleness
of a finely educated intellectual,
Like the father of Nationalism, Don Pedro.
Who never succumbed to that foreign control,
That’s thrives on exploitation and the oppression of souls
“Yazybatagua!” the name I recall in my spiritual kind of dream
The tribal community chanting, to their humble Warrior Queen
May the Eternal blessings of our ancestors and freedom fighters
Continue to be mixed in the waters of her inspirations
Which flow through her from many generations
As they find themselves “new” life
through her powerful truth-telling creations
Palante, Siempre Palante!
Hasta La Victoria!
By All means, Artistically, Necessary!
And May we all remember that
La Batalla sigue adelante!
Ache! Yazybatagua
Jaime – “The Maestro”
a/k/a Jaime A. Emeric
Copyright © 2007
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