Ricardo Pau-Llosa is an authentic and excellent Cuban American writer, whose poetry and writings are appreciated by many people from everywhere. He is a great writer whose poetry and writings will last and hopefully influence many people for years to come. Muy impresionante la vida, escrituras, cultura y manera de ver las cosas de Ricardo Pau-Llosa.

Ricardo Pau-Llosa's poetry collection, Cuba, has a poem called "Fruit" that is very intersting.
READ, READ, READ this poetry book....Amazing and very intersting.

In the book, Cuba, there is another poem called Fruit, which is a very descriptive, narrative and a wonderful poem. The first four lines of this poem are very impressive because many the Cubans who live in exile talk about fruits and food, in the same way Ricardo wrote it. "Growing up in Miami any tropical fruit I ate could only be a bad copy of the Real Fruit of Cuba. Exile meant having to consume false food, and knowing it in advance." The point is not that the fruits and food are different, they are still the same kind of fruit and meals; however, the taste is so different and more delicious because they are sowed on the tropical plantation fields. People eat it right away, when they are ready to be eaten; it is all about real organic fruit or food! He talks about those fruits that Cubans love from heart such as mameyes and caimito, not easily found in American markets. Ricardo described a mamey in a very striking way. I have tried to explain what a mamey is to the "gringos," and to other Hispanics, and I have never been able to give them such a good definition as Ricardo Pau-Llosa did. "Football shaped, brown fruit with the salmon-colored flesh encircling an ebony seed. Amazing and stupendous as it sounds, delicious and appetizing the same way it tastes." Ricardo describes the sensation that his grandmother feels every time she ate mamey. It is the same or even a stronger sensation that Cuban readers would feel and taste in their mouths when reading this poem. Although she was eating a good mamey, in the poem he wrote that she said, "the good Cuban mameyes did not have primaveras." "Primavera" (spring) was referring to the "lump" in a mamey, which is a mystery in the poem. The reader to must discover the reason for which the country (Cuba) was lost mentioned by his grandmother in the last line of the poem. The last lines of this poem have very strong meanings behind them. However, the interpretation of those lines depends upon different personalities. Overall, the poem touches the heart and brings back happy memories to any Cuban who has lived or still lives in exile to the "real Cuban fruits" and their delightful natural tastes.

Cuba, Cuba, Cuba!!!!!
It is a great poetry collection that every Cuban-American, anyobody else insterested in Cuban-American poetry or in Ricardo Pau-Llosa's work should read.

I really like one of his poems called "Ron." Here is my opinion:

In his poem Ron from his poetry collection Cuba, Ricardo gives a sense of Santeria to the reader. Santeria is a kind of religion that was brought by African slaves to countries like Cuba and Puerto Rico, and now has also became popular in other Latin American countries, and in South Florida. He mentions Babalú Ayé's (San Lazaro for Catholics) favorite offering the ron, who mostly likes aguardiente. Babalú Ayé rules over epidemics and plagues, and cures people from infectious diseases. His symbols are two dogs and crutches. When he wrote: "at the black man's funeral, rum from the bottle and tobacco, and drums," Ricardo gives the impression that a ritual is occurring at the black man's funeral. The man was a congo, a devoted successor of the slaves who adored orishas (guardian spirits). Orishas were given Catholic names so that the white and black Cubans would be related to each other by the religion. However, the orishas that were given catholic names were still being called by their Orishas' names.
In this poem, Ricardo talks about a mulatto girl who carried a chain with two medals, one of Ochún and the other one of Changó. Ochún and Changó are the main two orishas in which most of the Cubans believe. Ochún is the Virgin of Charity, the patron of Cuba. Ochún is the Orisha of love, femininity, and the rivers; she is very inclined toward female sexuality and helps women give birth. Changó is Saint Barbara who is control of the fire, thunders and lightning. Ricardo describes Changó very well as "both man and woman and carries a sword in one hand, and have a castle for a crown." Ricardo Pau-Llosa should have mentioned Changó's colors which are red and white, and also that in her left hand she/he carries a dark gold-like goblet. He also provides a brief explanation of Chango's story which he made as good as it had to be. The legends I was taught are exactly as he wrote: "when one watches a broken mirror, and lightning strikes, Changó glimpses himself as a woman." For this reason, when a person who is devoted to Saint Barbara and buys, at any religious store, a figure that represents Saint Barbara, it is represented by a woman who carries a goblet in her left hand and a sword in her right hand, wears a dress of red and white colors, with a castle-like crown on her head. Next to her there is always the shape of a castle.
Ricardo introduced Santeria in this poem in a way that was not necessary for him to actually write the word Santeria. However, once he started talking about Changó, he finishes the poem talking about Saint Barbara who is really Changó. This may give the impression and feeling to the reader that Ricardo Pau-Llosa believes in Changó. Even though he is Cuban, and he mentioned Ochún, the patron of Cuba, he did not really go into detail about Ochún when he could have. Ricardo seemed to, or at least gave the impression to me as a reader, that he was more devoted toward Changó than Ochún. However, he is still faithful to Ochún.

Cuba, Cuba, Cuba!!!
It is a great poetry collection that every Cuban-American, anyobody else insterested in Cuban-American poetry or in Ricardo Pau-Llosa's work should read.

I really like one of his poems called "Ron." Here is my opinion:

In his poem Ron from his poetry collection Cuba, Ricardo gives a sense of Santeria to the reader. Santeria is a kind of religion that was brought by African slaves to countries like Cuba and Puerto Rico, and now has also became popular in other Latin American countries, and in South Florida. He mentions Babalú Ayé's (San Lazaro for Catholics) favorite offering the ron, who mostly likes aguardiente. Babalú Ayé rules over epidemics and plagues, and cures people from infectious diseases. His symbols are two dogs and crutches. When he wrote: "at the black man's funeral, rum from the bottle and tobacco, and drums," Ricardo gives the impression that a ritual is occurring at the black man's funeral. The man was a congo, a devoted successor of the slaves who adored orishas (guardian spirits). Orishas were given Catholic names so that the white and black Cubans would be related to each other by the religion. However, the orishas that were given catholic names were still being called by their Orishas' names.
In this poem, Ricardo talks about a mulatto girl who carried a chain with two medals, one of Ochún and the other one of Changó. Ochún and Changó are the main two orishas in which most of the Cubans believe. Ochún is the Virgin of Charity, the patron of Cuba. Ochún is the Orisha of love, femininity, and the rivers; she is very inclined toward female sexuality and helps women give birth. Changó is Saint Barbara who is control of the fire, thunders and lightning. Ricardo describes Changó very well as "both man and woman and carries a sword in one hand, and have a castle for a crown." Ricardo Pau-Llosa should have mentioned Changó's colors which are red and white, and also that in her left hand she/he carries a dark gold-like goblet. He also provides a brief explanation of Chango's story which he made as good as it had to be. The legends I was taught are exactly as he wrote: "when one watches a broken mirror, and lightning strikes, Changó glimpses himself as a woman." For this reason, when a person who is devoted to Saint Barbara and buys, at any religious store, a figure that represents Saint Barbara, it is represented by a woman who carries a goblet in her left hand and a sword in her right hand, wears a dress of red and white colors, with a castle-like crown on her head. Next to her there is always the shape of a castle.
Ricardo introduced Santeria in this poem in a way that was not necessary for him to actually write the word Santeria. However, once he started talking about Changó, he finishes the poem talking about Saint Barbara who is really Changó. This may give the impression and feeling to the reader that Ricardo Pau-Llosa believes in Changó. Even though he is Cuban, and he mentioned Ochún, the patron of Cuba, he did not really go into detail about Ochún when he could have. Ricardo seemed to, or at least gave the impression to me as a reader, that he was more devoted toward Changó than Ochún. However, he is still faithful to Ochún.

This poetry is about dialogue with your cultural past, especially if that past feels less than authentic. Something other than a global spirituality emerges as a result of this dialogue. His poetry is way more than just nostalgia for old Cuban songs. It talks about what's left when the past is scrutinized and one's relationship with the past remains full of bitterness and a persistent nostalgia. Other contemporary poets escape into spirituality or language, but Pau-Llosa remembers that the feet meet the ground of history in order to approach anything close to authenticity.