October 7, 2022 | Written by Andrea Rivera-Jimenez | Illustration by Delia Sauer
I wonder what you imagine
When you hear “La Isla del Encanto,”
Where the mountains touch the horizon
And the vast, blue ocean hugs the sand.
Can you imagine the strength
That held the island afloat when Maria came,
Left deep scars on the enchanted land
And left without another word?
I wonder what you know
About “La Isla del Encanto,”
Where you can taste the salt of the Caribbean
And the sweet juice from quenepas.
Do you know how often the people look elsewhere
In hopes for a future that doesn’t threaten them
As the declining economy
Slowly drowns the island
And swallows it whole?
I wonder what you feel
When you hear “La Isla del Encanto,”
Where you hear the peaceful sound
Of coquis singing throughout the night
And feel the cool wind that whispers through the trees.
Could you feel the amount of pride
That flowed like rivers through the people
As the words “Ricky Renuncia”
Boomed between the mountains like thunder
While thousands of Boricuas marched through cities,
Fighting to be seen by sightless politicians?
Most of all,
I wonder what it’s like
Only knowing one side over the other.
I don’t see it as only the good
Or only the bad.
I see the glowing, green trees and the angry rain.
I hear the soft wind and the crashing waves.
I feel the warm sun and the fear of corruption.
And I know that this island is more than paradise.
Es la Isla de la Reciliencia.