A History of Echoes: Poems
by Rod Carlos Rodriguez
Gival Press


"An entire ocean
carried us away
from all we understood…world
of islands, rivers, and caves.
Still I
heard whispers of
our old home."

The beauty and toughness of the Taíno culture are valiantly portrayed with equal parts force and grace, creating an energetic field made more vibrant through imagery. The sanctity and adulation with which Rodriguez regards his roots, especially the caciques—the tribal chieftains—shine through loud and clear, carrying a determined resilience to continue “caressing these roots fatigued by a half millennium.”

With impeccable command of poetic language and experimental structure, the poet provides a voice to the countless ones that were stifled and muffled by events such as the atrocities committed against his people by Columbus, King Ferdinand, and Queen Isabella. In many ways, Rodriguez’s verses are mementos, pensive moments in Taíno history that left their culture and customs in shambles. The haunting image of Salome patiently waiting every night in Cueva Ventana juxtaposed with the legend of the hummingbird—a riveting love story of Taroo and Alida, naive and innocent lovers from warring tribes whose love knew no bounds—shows the depth of culture and emotion Taínos possessed.

Each poem is intentional, etching layer upon layer of depth to a tapestry of love and hate, of legends and myths, of war and sacrifice, and of greed and resolve. For every avarice-stricken man like Juan Ponce de Leon, there is a patriot like Francisco Matos Paoli, a representative of the “jibaros,” or inferior farming men, whose story is immortalized in Rodriguez’s work. From a stylistic perspective, Rodriguez creates a rhythmic cadence often found in epic poems like Homer’s the Iliad or the Odyssey. Though the lines are short, devices such as enjambment add great emphasis and work to create a comprehensive snapshot in the readers’ mind. Above all else, Rodriguez preserves the rich history of Taíno culture with incredible tact and tenacity in a compilation that is a clinic on narrative poetry.

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