A Black Prince for George Floyd
By Nancy Morejón
Though he wanted to throw you in the Mississippi,
the cannibal in the murky uniform
with his knee has scorched into silence
your motionless throat.
The smoke of your flesh ascends to a wet heaven.
Hopping among the flowers, your breath
chases his ghost and manages to bite
the bloody fang of the cannibal.
But you inspire, indomitable, lying on the wet asphalt,
under the quiet shade of an apple tree
in Minneapolis,
where we will place, for you,
this shining, clean
Black Prince* of ours,
to your memory.
Cerro, Havana, June 4, 2020
Nancy Morejon is an award-winning Cuban poet, critic and essayist who lives in Havana.
*A ‘Black Prince’ is a type of rose.
Translation: Ana Elena de Arazoza From Resumen LatinoAmericanoEnglish
Read more about Nancy Morejon and her poetry here
Original poem in Spanish here:
Nancy Morejón, PRÍNCIPE NEGRO PARA GEORGE FLOYD
Aunque su sueño era lanzarte al Mississippi,
aquel caníbal de uniforme opaco
ha quemado en silencio su rodilla
sobre tu cuello inerte.
El humo de tu carne va subiendo hasta el cielo mojado.
Saltando entre las flores, el aire de tus bronquios
persigue su fantasma hasta morder
el colmillo sangriento del caníbal.
Y tú alientas, indómito, sobre el asfalto húmedo,
bajo la sombra quieta de un manzano
en Minneapolis,
donde colocaremos, para ti,
este brillante, este limpio
príncipe negro nuestro,
a tu memoria.
Cerro, 4 de junio, 2020 Nancy Morejon copyright the artist.
Cuba 50 
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