Petitions from a Cuban to the Virgin of Charity / Silvio Benítez Márquez

By Silvio Benitez Marquez

Punta Brava, Havana- 12 Jan 2011

– Virgin of Charity, you who are compassion and love.

– Help us so that in Cuba things do not get worse than they already are.

– Come close to your children, relieve us of so much suffering.

– And if you are not able to come remove this oracle from our lives forever.

– My Virgin, the only thing I ask is for a miracle to see if I get the hell out of this captive island.

– I promise, my Virgin, that I will continue to love and venerate your image.

– I will hang on to your divine faith like an amulet and I will take it to the dark ocean, and I will not stop until I reach the other shore of Florida.

– Forgive me, my Virgin, if I perish in such a desperate attempt, but if I stay to see the conclusion of this carousel of time, then that will be my death.

The Virgin, with a hollow and worried voice, gives her answer to the desperate Cuban.

– Hold on, you bastard, hold on a bit longer and continue resisting the power outages, the scarcities, and the lack of water.

– Stand up and walk in the darkness without a light, brush your teeth in the mornings with Perla brand toothpaste and taste the inedible soy “ground beef” during the afternoons while you watch TV.

– Don’t grow desperate, you bastard, for this story is nearly over. I only have one suggestion left for you — don’t stop swallowing live the apologetic speeches of the tyrant who oppresses you.

– And if you can’t find a way to release the excrement of half a century, then get on a bike and start screaming, “Down with Raul and Fidel!”…

Silvito, the Noncomformist

Translated by Raul G.

Spanish post
January 13 2011