That Boy, That American Boy in Cuba

That Boy, That American Boy (From Cuban trip #2 July 2011 with American friends from DC) That boy, that American boy with eyes so curious, with a smile so wide Only 15 and yet so grown up Playing basketball with Men who have experienced Castro's Cuba Playing with Men who also once had curious eyes and wide smiles, but now are hard by 50 years of communist state A boy with so many questions even though he has study his history in school A boy who follows his Dad's footsteps so close they are like one His father brought him to Cuba to see first hand the failure of a communist system They have travelled the world all over but yet this seems like the first time to another country A boy who wants to take his first sip of cerveza but looks closely at his hero for approval and then gives that ugly face we all did when we had our first beer A boy with so many questions about math, about Cuba, about life A boy whose very words brought me to tears when he said, "I wish I have brought some of MY clothes from my closet to pass out to the kids on the streets" And yet this boy is very different then the boy I met on my first poem about Cuba This boy will have everything he can ever want A Father, a Mother, a brother, a basketball team, and freedom to grow as he wishes A life where he can learn about the people of the world and vote for whomever he likes when he turns 18 (soon very soon) And in the end, on his way back to freedom, he buys a souvenir for his Mother always look back for his Father's approval.