MENDOZA

On top of the hill in the Parque San Martin
Is a sculpture dedicated to the general,
So vast it obscures the view of snowy Andes
Peaks. Latin Americans value their generals.
Those who made it in the wars of liberation,
Earned an immortality to rival mountains.
San Martin, O’Higgins, Sucre, Bolivar and
Artigas, names whose fame is by and large held
Captive in the lands of their deeds. To a stranger,
This street-name glory seems excessive. But how can
A stranger connect with the constancy these names
Supply, ideals of nationhood through times of turmoil?

Eight years ago I came to this same place with H.
My hazy memories were of pleasant squares, clean
Air, a sense of well-being. Since that visit, their
Economy collapsed. Where a dollar once bought
One peso, it now buys three. I expected signs
Of poverty and decay. But Mendozans still
Jog, bike, row as vigorously as before. Steaks
And ice-cream are still avidly consumed. The
Bustling evening promenade suggests a way of
Life which those fickle market forces cannot crack.


parque san martin 19.10.04