“Juan Crisóstomo Policarpo Cano y Cano Writes to His Uncle” by Jeremy Paden

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She sits on my lap and we work through
her Spanish homework. She says, Daddy,
this is boring. This is not her history
and wars are of no interest to her.

Still, I ask, Have you understood? What did
Juan do for his brother? What did the letter
say? She reads again the story, how Juan,
veteran of The War of the Cakes, knew

what was going to happen, how older
brother sent younger brother, anxious
to prove himself in battle, with a letter
to their uncle requesting he keep Lorenzo

locked away, no quiero que lo maten,
quiero que viva feliz, por mi patria
moriré, yo por él daré mi vida.
I ask her again if she understands.

She responds, I might do that, but right now
I would have to get over my fear of death.

-Jeremy Paden

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