BL Poets: Rufino’s Secret

Rufino’s Secret

By: Rick Kearns

In the legends of 17th century

Puerto Rico there is a story

of a brave Indian who fought sharks

his name was Rufino

As he dives in the water

long knife strapped to his wrist

he hears the shouts

of the Spanish noblemen

calling out Rufino!

Rufino!

supporting him

they think

Rufino

knows better

 

he swims quietly

towards the shark

spotted early this morning

while he was still brooding

at breakfast by the pier

he remembers

the holy scapular

of the Virgin of Carmen

he normally wears

into battle

he couldn’t find it

almost declined the

emphatic request

of the white men

and their shiny metals

and hungry dogs who

seemed to have a taste

for Indian skin.

 

The Spaniards were

impressed

at his courage

at his devotion and they

thought they knew

why he loved the

woven images of the

blessed lady tied together

by a piece of linen

 

the local governor

offered more and more

bags of gold to

impress the visiting

royalty of the

brave and humble

indian, Rufino

a Taino warrior

devoted yes

to the image

of a sacred lady

who he agreed to

call the Virgin of

Carmen and

all the while

he loved this dark

face as it was

the face of his

grandmother

who taught him the

secrets of

breathing underwater

and staying

deathly still

until the great

shark was close enough

to seize and stab

and hold on

until you saw the

blood drifting upwards

ribbons of shark blood

and sounds

one could never hear

on land

 

that day

as he came within

a few yards of

the gnashing jaws he

thought be with me

now

ancestors

grandmother

and in a blur

he was on the

great animal

rolling and slashing

in a few minutes

a few of the rows

of teeth caught part

of his arm and he

floated upwards

upwards

barely able to

swim to the beach

people were

screaming his name

he stood but

collapsed

holding his shoulder

and as his cousin

lifted his head up to

drink from a higuera cup

the beaming governor

was standing before him

“Rufino, Brave Rufino you did it.

See the monster floating this way

upside down spilling blood

here is your gold dear boy

you are a hero

the Virgin I’m sure

is pleased.”

 

Rufino is dazed

but he starts to smile

as he realizes he

has enough gold to

go back into the hills

and buy the freedom of

his lover and that

even without the sacred

grandmother image

he could kill a shark

and  in that moment he knew

he could easily kill

white men

too.

For more of Rick Kearns’ poetry, go to http://www.foothillspublishing.com/2012/id37.htm