Scissors - Paper - Roque

Well, I had never heard of revolutionary poet Roque Dalton until now - in searching for significant dates that relate to poets. Born in El Salvador, 1935, his story is remarkable for several reasons. It couldn't fail to capture my attention to learn he had evaded being executed twice. 

        

A Law student in the 50s. He soon became committed to political causes he passionately believed in; this being the terrifying era of 'The Disappeared'. This led to his arrest in 1960. Sentenced to execution, it just so happened that, on the day before, the dictatorship of his country was overthrown. 

He went into exile; time away, mostly Mexico & Cuba. On returning to El Salvador years later; was arrested; tortured, and sentenced to the death yet again. This time an earthquake damaged the wall of his cell enabling his escape. 

So much - of the little - I have uncovered in this short time has been astonishing. I found it difficult to find out more about him; perhaps because poetry, and the arts in general, is often quite  Eurocentric. 

As an Artist-Poet who works with collage, I was intrigued to learn he referred to some of his collections as 'Literary Collages' - made up of found poems, old poems reworked, historical documents, news items etc.

I did find this poem, however, from https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-certainty/ 

The Certainty by Roque Dalton

After four hours of torture, the Apache and the other two
cops threw a bucket of water at the prisoner to wake him up
and said: "The Colonel has ordered us to tell you you're to be
given a chance to save your skin. If you guess which of us has
a glass eye, you'll be spared torture." After passing his gaze
over the faces of his executioners, the prisoner pointed to
one of them: "His. His right eye is glass."

And the astonished cops said, "You're saved! But how did
you guess? All your buddies missed because the eye is
American, that is, perfect." "Very simple," said the prisoner,
feeling he was going to faint again, "it was the only eye that
looked at me without hatred."

Of course they continued torturing him.

Having escaped execution twice; third time wasn't so lucky. Falling foul of fellow compatriots, he was finally executed in 1975, on this day; 4 days short of his 40th birthday. Even with the barest of details about him, it's palpable how  much his presence is missed. A film made about him: Let's Shoot the Night! (2013) by Tina Leisch, features memories and readings by around 2 dozen people: family members, friends; towns folk; students, and the strata of the community his poems were dedicated to supporting. (Spanish, with English subtitles). Each holds a large photograph of his image, which has the strange feeling of his being present, and yet....

       

The one poem that was easy to find - a love poem - is how this post will end. Love endures. Love for him - and his love for others. R.I.P.