Writer outside La Bodeguita del Medio at Calle Empedrado in Havana, Cuba
October 8, 2025

Storyteller

By Alex Baranda

Once upon a time, he began to say
A giant hairy man was in our tree
Concealed in the branches, quite shadowy 
Only the light of his cigar you’d see

He spoke of orbs that danced beyond the hill
A fiery dot flickering in the mist   
Glowed in incandescent hues, a spectacle
Only fleetingly before it vanished

He told of chairs that rocked with no one near
A ghostly rhythm swaying through the air
Moved back and forth, surely sent a shiver
Only stopped when he whispered a prayer

Now I retell, and laughter fills the room
I know his myths and memory live on

Photograph: Writer (Outside La Bodeguita del Medio), Calle Empedrado, Havana, Cuba
© Alex Baranda
http://www.alexbarandaphotography.com/