I, Cristoforo Colombo, dying but not dead
Waiting to set sail on my fifth voyage finally
Know that I shall be remembered and dismembered
By those whose uncharted lives I leave behind–
I know a day will dawn
When my face will be splashed across
A conspiracy of postage stamps
With someone throwing this mariner a bone:
A holiday celebrating my day in the Caribbean sun.
I can still see San Salvador on sleepless nights:
A speck from the unrepentant Atlantic,
The waves rising skywards like my prayers–
I brought the New World to the Old:-
Gold, spices, and slaves-
And I murdered in God’s name.
I, Cristoforo Colombo, blessed by Isabella,
Mouth this monologue as my last testament
To the ungrateful living dead.
The general reader will find this to be an exquisitely crafted, evocative work replete with tropes reminiscent of Borges and Vargas Llosa.
Thank you very much, Louis.
Wonderful! Creative and highly imaginative!
Thank you,dear Anoucheka.
Thank you very much,Subu.