Jan 1, 2010

Colibri | Summary

First Stanza
“Colibrí” is set in Puerto Rico in the city of Jayuya. The city’s name is derived from local Indian Chief Hayuya. Jayuya is tucked into the northern border of Toro Negro Forest Reserve and commands breathtaking views extending to the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Sometimes natives refer to it as “La Capital Indigena,” to signify its large population of Taino.

Espada first compares the scattering of the lizards to the way that “green canoes” scattered “before the invader.” This is a historical allusion to the 1493 Spanish invasion of the...