LOS RECUERDOS

HERE'S TO RICK "RICOTE"
EL GRANDOTE GENERAL
A CUBAN, BY INJECTION
AND COSTAS' JEWISH PAL

WE ALWAYS WILL REMEMBER
HOW COULD WE DARE FORGET
THE HORROR AT THE AIRPORT
ON THE FIRST DAY THAT WE MET

THE INSTANT SPECULATION
ON WHO WAS WHOM OR WHAT
OR LIZZIES' GRAND OLD ENTRANCE
"GROUP LEADER" ON THE SPOT

OF ENDLESS INTRODUCTIONS
KAYLANI, LEYLAND "LEE"
ALLIE, MARGO, XAVIER
SONIA AND JEFFREY

THEN, DISAPPEARING THOMAS
OR, WAS HE REALLY THERE?
PLUS EVELYN AND BERNADETTE
BOTH SINGLY, THEN A PAIR

AND LOVELY-LEGGY HEATHER
OR CAROL, LIZZIES' PAL
LAURA WITH THE SLAMMIN' SMILE
SHOULD HOLD US FOR AWHILE

NO, HOW ABOUT SWEET CHARLOTTE!
WE CAN'T LEAVE OUT RUBY
WHO CARRIED EVERY MEDICINE
AND GAVE THEM OUT FOR FREE

LASTLY, "CAPTAIN" MORGAN
SHE BARELY BROUGHT A THING
EXCEPT FIVE-DOZEN CAMERAS
FOR OUR TEN-DAY CUBAN FLING

LETS' RAMBLE NOW A LITTLE
BEFORE WE ROCK AND ROLL
A TOAST TO EACH AND EVERY ONE
WHO LEFT US HALVED OR WHOLE

WE SHAN'T FORGET POTOTO
OUR INSPIRING, DARING GUIDE
BOTH A MINSTREL AND A TEACHER
COULDN'T FAULT HIM IF YOU TRIED

NOR THE HALF-EARRED PRIEST
WHO PROVED TO US, CATHOLOCISM LIVES
IN CUBA AND IN EVERYONE
WHO TAKES LESS THAN HE GIVES

WE MUST INCLUDE THE PATIENTS
AND, OUR ARTIST BUDDIES TOO
WHO HELPED US ALL ALONG OUR WAY
TO FIND OUT SOMETHING NEW

THAT FREEDOMS' ONLY POSSIBLE
WHEN ONE IS THINKING FREE
THAT DREAMS COME TRUE WHEN SPOKEN
OR, IF PAINTED FOR A FEE

LETS' TALK ABOUT A CHINATOWN
THAT'S LESS THAN ONE BLOCK LONG
WITH ONLY ONE LONE CHINAMAN
TO WING A CHINESE SONG

OR SEAMLESS BURPING LESSONS
OR BROTHELS BY THE SCORE
OR ENDLESS MALECHONES
WHERE THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE

WE COULD GO ON FOREVER
WITH TEARS AND THEN WITH SMILES
REMEMBERING OUR EVERY MOVE
GO ON FOR MILES AND MILES

BUT, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
YES, EVERYTHING MUST END
EVEN ALL THE BEST OF THINGS
DON'T ALWAYS BREAK, BUT BEND

SO, HERE'S TO LOS RECUERDOS
OF EVERYTHING TWAS' CUBAN
FROM YOUR EVER SMILING POET-FRIEND
THAT SANTIAGO JUBAN

jeffrey

5/9/04