El Sueño Prosigue
Ismael Serrano
The Dream Continues
The old trees in the park have died,
Those birds from the south of Ketama have not returned,
Nor that August sky nor the light you gave us,
But making its way through struggles, the dream continues.
No one ever knew where you came from,
Whether from another city, or the neighboring neighborhood.
And they talked about you and your schemes,
In the street, in the bars, especially at the police station.
With your rebellious air, the neighborhood breathed,
Blood never ran when you robbed
A savings bank or a pharmacy.
They say you distributed the profits among the old village.
Some say you were tall and dark,
Others blond, brown-haired, and one said one-eyed.
And everyone agreed that you were needed,
And your revolutionary shadow walked the streets.
The neighborhood girls dreamed of you
And, poor naive girls, I knew you were mine.
Every young person in the neighborhood was dying to join
Your mythical gang, everyone was on your side.
They say there was peace under your watchful eye,
That you kept the pimps in check,
That you had a hidden treasure and a map,
That one moonless night you sold your soul to the devil.
No one can forget that gray morning,
The perfect assault on the Caja Madrid.
They say your best friend betrayed you,
That you smiled when that bullet pierced you.
The whole neighborhood cried over the cruel tragedy,
The same ones always lose and dictate sentences.
Relentless executioners, hear how they sound,
The steps of an old thief coming back.
The old trees in the park have died,
Those birds from the south of Ketama have not returned,
Nor that August sky nor the light you gave us,
But making its way through struggles, the dream continues.
The next day someone had seen you
Walking in the street with a calm demeanor,
Thinking about your things, surely about me.
After burying you, you seemed more alive.
And still, your name echoes in the streets.
They say you escaped and now you hide
In the shadows of the neighborhood, in a secret place.
The neighborhood burns in your absence and I miss you.
