Burning Havana
Swirling cigar smoke circles her neck
As the frayed rope hung maritime men
Grey and island colour washes over
The thick concrete walls
In a city
In a country
Where nasty, heartless criminals
Pretend to possess loyalty and love
One and three fives
Must be a lucky year
To loot and smear evil over a
Tropical moonlit paradise
Attacking a sway of peaceful hammocks
Startling traveler’s palms tips
He could have left it all alone
He could have sailed south to Jamaica
French Pirate
Exterminating angel
Lieutenant of Pegleg
Jambe de Bois
Knock on wood
L'Ange Exterminateur
Such turquoise beauty
On the shores of Cayo Coco
Feral horses and clear waters
Shells that heard you coming
Did you think the gold would be waiting?
Such greedy arrogance fills your pockets
Jacques, you naughty boy
Acting out in tantrum
Such unbecoming fashion
Your rage and grizzly dented pride
Took your rough skin hands
To strike those coals of fire
Into the homes of empty treasures
But you weren’t finished there
The countryside of this water hugged land
Set a blaze
White-hot anger drips heated tears
Onto the dusty roads
That no Caribbean rain could equal
No sloshing bucket could douse
Extinguishing
French Pirate
Exterminating angel
Lieutenant of Pegleg
Jambe de Bois
Knock on wood
L'Ange Exterminateur
Captain De Sores
You came with your two or twenty ships
Theft of Cuba the plan
How the country laughed at you
Spaniards howling over the sea
Foolish are you
Not even your flames could melt
The hearts of the people
Burning Havana
- The Pirate Code, Patti Friday
(Copyright Patti Friday Poem and Lyrics)
Ropa Vieja (Recipe here)
Cuba’s national dish.
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Shredded beef stewed with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and spices.
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Served with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains (maduros).
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Name means “old clothes”—because of how the beef looks when shredded.
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Havana Fortus (top graphic)
Johannes de Ram
circa 1680
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