1.- PROSE
A - "A los niños Pedropanes" - MARCOS FERNANDO PINEDO BERAZA.
      (Matecumbe - family in Waynesville, NC - San Jose, CA)
B - "Patricia's Story"- PATRICIA PINO HERNÁNDEZ
      (went with aunt in Miami)


2.- POETRY.
A - "Allá en la Lejanía" - Dr. RAMÓN H. FAGUNDO (Matecumbe - Austin, TX)

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PROSE

1A - "A los niños Pedropanes"

A LOS NIÑOS PEDRO PANES,
QUE CON INOCENCIA Y TEMOR,

SALIMOS DE CUBA HUYENDO,

LA SANGRIENTA REVOLUCION.

.

LLEGAMOS SIN COMPRENDER,

PORQUÉ NOS HABIAN MANDADO?

SIN COMPRENDER LLEGAMOS,

CON MIEDO Y CONFUSIONES,

FUIMOS RECIBIDOS Y ALOJADOS,

POR PERSONAS BUENAS, PERO EXTRAÑAS.

ALGUNOS SIN SUS PADRES,

QUEDARON EN LA INFAMIA.

PERO LA MAYORÍA,

PASARON A LA HISTORIA,

POR SUS HONRADECES Y GLORIAS.

.

PARA NUESTRAS PASADAS GENERACIONES,

QUE NOS TRINCHERARON NUESTROS CORAZONES,

CON SUS ODIOS E IGNORANCIAS,

HUNDIERON EN NUESTROS TIERNOS CORAZONES,

UN EXILIO AMARGO Y TRISTE,

PERO LLENO DE ILUSIONES.

.

HOY TODAVÍA BUSCAMOS,

LA INOCENTE ALEGRÍA PERDIDA,

QUE NOS HIZO PEDRO PANES.

 

Marcos Fernando Pinedo Beraza

.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1B - PATRICIA'S STORY

Actress in a play wearing a beautiful "bata" with a full suitcase of beautiful clothes to go to the magical land of plenty, where people who spoke the same language as Mary and Spot, and wore shorts to places other than the beach. Why did my mom look so sad on the other side of the glass? Why could I not show my cross and the pretty earrings hidden by my hair? I felt very important traveling on the plane with my oldest cousin Nestor. At the airport in Miami , George carried me on his lap and gave me Chiclets. So far so good. Getting a little nervous until I am turned over to my Aunt Anita and the drove of cousins who came to meet me at the airport.

First day of school. I walk with my aunt who shows me the way and points to markers that will help me to find my way home in the afternoon to walk back to our “upstairs" This is no Sagrado Corazón and the neighborhood is no Vista Alegre. After a day of not understanding and not being understood, I have no idea which way is home. I have my first experience with Anxiety and I soil myself while wearing yet another embroidered bata and hand-made bloomers. Wandering the streets in soiled Vista Alegre birthday party-appropriate-outfit made me realize that this was not Kansas . When through the miracle that only Pedro Pans know, the house finally materialized, the 7-year-old grown-up could not let her Aunt deal with the soil, so I attempted to solve it by closing the bathroom door, filling the tub, undressing and placing the bata, paraderas and bloomers to wash. The stuff seemed to multiply in mammoth proportions. So my aunt found me when she got home from cleaning rooms at the hotel and I learned the valuable lesson of why she wore shorts to places other than the beach: there are no lavanderas here!.

Pedro Pan gave me my freedom and my husband of 37 years, - also a Pedro Pan - our incredible 3 children, as well as the realization that this is not Vista Alegre,  no Sagrado Corazón, Siboney, Cuabitas, Abuela Margarita, Hernández y Hermanos, Club 300, family stability and the anxiety that has been my best friend and enemy from the day that I soiled my pants in the land of plenty.

Who would know that my adventure abroad in the land of Mary and Spot would make me the woman that I am in a place that is definitely not Vista Alegre but has become my magical land which I love!!!! 

Thank you Pedro Pan!!!

PATRICIA PINO HERNÁNDEZ

[in Alumni section entered as: PATRICIA (HERNÁNDEZ CASAS) PINO]

 

 

 

 

 

POETRY

2A - "Allá en la Lejanía"