Santa Marta, Colombia
In the province of Magdalena, Santa Marta,
A port city, Colombia’s oldest surviving
City, in the last two centuries faced fires,
Floods, earthquakes, and calamity.
Repeatedly ransacked, and burned, destroyed
by the fury of nature, and attacks by pirates.
Next to the main-plaza at the civic center,
Whitewashed bell-tower of the Cathedral of Santa Marta.
The central-square shaded by Banyon trees, no escape
In afternoon heat and humidity of a weekday.
A blind beggar with an empty palm stands in the shade,
Receiving little attention.
Near the chapel door, a widow with three small children
Sells Chicklets among the coffee and candy vendors.
Around the hallow, inner-recesses of the Cathedral,
Among the chandeliers, heavy white arches and domes,
Each station of the cross, allegation to crucifixion
Mark the narrow path from through the side-door.
Below the marble floor and under a metal plaque,
Are the sacred remains of Simón Bolívar.
The heart of the “Liberator of Latin America.”
A sign of respect for history he shared,
When emissaries of Venezuela came to Santa Marta
To take Bolívar’s remains to his native land,
Left his heart and entrails in the church,
Sharing the rest of him with Venezuela.
If his heart were to thump from deep inside
The velvet-lined box, would his heartbeat
Answer every prayer from every sinner
In the immaculate church against the blue sky?
Would the church bring them closer to God, or
Waste time in the heat, and be futile?
With nowhere left to turn, life of the city
Unfolds, we light candles, and pray.
Faith becomes a vital element of existence,
The Cathedral is the only reliable witness.
Stephen Barile, a Fresno, California native, was educated in the public schools, and attended Fresno City College, (AA) Fresno Pacific University, (BA), and California State University, Fresno (MFA). He is the former chairman of the William Saroyan Society, and a long-time member of the Fresno Poet’s Association. Mr. Barile taught writing at Madera Center Community College, lives and writes in Fresno. His poems have been published extensively, including The Heartland Review, Rio Grande Review, The Packinghouse Review, Undercurrents, The Broad River Review, The San Joaquin Review, Haight-Ashbury Literary Journal, Beginnings, Pharos, and Flies, Cockroaches, and Poets.