Wings of Freedom

By Felipe G. Calzadilla

The Cuban saga of the latter half of the 20th Century is an epic, heartbreaking tale of global, politics and grand history. From Castro to Kennedy, the CIA to the Mafia, Communism to Capitalism. Totalitarianism to Democracy, the actors have been players on the world stage, and the issues and conflicts have been titanic.

Yet the story of Cuba is not only the story of competing philosophies and colliding governments, it is also a very human story of an entire people caught in the eye of this ongoing hurricane. Generations after generation of Cubans, whether in Cuba, Miami, New York or elsewhere, have had their lives forever altered in the unending struggle to define and claim Cuba. Put aside politics and players, great men and greater causes, this story, as with every true epic, is about the people involved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 26, 2007
• ISBN: 9781465331205

Felipe G. Calzadilla

Felipe Calzadilla is one of the people, a man who has live, survived, and triumphed, through the entire story of modern Cuba. Born and raised on the island, he came to the U.S. in the aftermath of the revolution. He raised a family, built a life, and became an American. And he never forgot his origins, his homeland, his soul. I have known Felipe most of my life. The quality of his character and the facts of his story will entertain you and enlighten you. Through his eyes and his experience, you will begin to understand Cuba and the Cuba experience. In doing so, you will better understand the American experience as well, for the history and fate of those two countries and those two people, seem to be forever intertwined. The future promises more of the same, as Cuba inevitably moves toward a day where freedom will return and the ties between Cuba and America will only grow closer and stronger. Felipe is not only an extraordinary story but also a valuable testimony – one ma’s lifelong journey form one country to another, one world to another, one existence to another. It is a testimony worth reading. It is a journey worth taking Len Sharman October 13, 2002

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Copyright © 2007 by Felipe G. Calzadilla.

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in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Letter from David L. Williams

Letter from Gala Morrell

Fragile Are the Humans

Protection to Creation

To the Niagara Falls

Pocono Mountains

Time to Harvest

Acrostic Dedicated to Florence Henderson at the International Society of Poets Convention in Washington DC at the Washington DC Sheraton

Castro the Chief of the Sinners

My Dog and My Cat

Oh Father, Save Our Country

Imploring Mercy

Death of a Princess

To Miss America Past, Present, and Future

To Those Fallen by Castro’s Hands

To Juliet Newman

To Those Killed and Hurt at the Twin Towers First Intent

To Congressman Claude Pepper to Honor His Memory

To Our Children

Reproach to Fidel Castro

Wings of Memory

Castro’s Ill Will

River of Pain from the Cuban Nationals

Imagine Free Cuba

Sweet Smile of Love

The Suffering Island

How Sad Is My Country?

Hunger: Plus Hunger of Freedom

Cuba!

My Mother

Our Prayers to Cuba

To the Memory of Those Killed in Oklahoma

Pocono Mountains

New York State

New York City

Life Is Short

A Dedication to Margaret Hourihan on Her Ninetieth Birthday Celebrated among Friends

You and My Dreams

On the Wings of Memory

Falling Leaves

Welcome to the World, Spencer

To Spencer My Grandson

My Youth

Look Here Down, Men of Goodwill

My Two Mothers

New York Marathon The Roadrunners

Depression State

To the Glory of Miss Liberty

Death of a Beauty Queen To the Memory of Jean Bennett Ramsey

Sentence to a Monster

From Cuba with Love

When a Person Is Childless

Banes

I Feel Emptiness

Thank You, God

Justice We Are Invoking

The Sacred Religion Has Been Expelled

Thinking of Castro’s Ways

Sweet Memory

Sad Memories

Acrostic

Fidel Castro

Uncertainty

Hatuey the Indian Chief, Execution by Burning

Don’t Punish Me

To My Wife on St. Valentine’s Day

I Am Happy

Anguish of Freedom

The Power of Love

When Am I Happy?

When Am I Sad?

How It Happened?

America

Acrostic Dedicated to Dara Pohl Feldman

Dreaming Awake but with Hope

To Castro the Hypocrite

America Held Hostage

Acrostic Dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. James and Eileen Laffey

If Pearl Harbor Didn’t Happen, Hiroshima Would Be Intact

Thanksgiving Messages for All Families to Pray

Let’s Talk about Love

My Love for Cuba

Did You Ever Ask Yourself?

Hurricane Andrew

Slow Martyrdom

To Augusto Pinochet

The 2000 Subway World Series

Composed from a Letter from Cuba Wings of Freedom

A Silly Question

I Just Love People

Homage to the Sea

Wings of Hate

I Thought I Had Lost My Son

My Native Country

Expensive Is Our Freedom

Be a Hero Instead of a Pariah

On the Wings of Memory Quietude

Yesterday Is History Tomorrow Is a Mystery

Free! Doom

Nightmare in Cuba

Dark Is the Night

To My Nephew Tuckeron His Sixth Birthday

Mother Nature

The USA by God Being Blessed

Forever Love

I Love You So

Jesus, blessed name

Wings of Freedom Is dedicated to those who have valiantly died, been hurt, to our veterans who have defended Democracy and fought against abusive Dictators, and communism in all parts of the world, and lastly to those who lost their lives trying to reach the land of freedom.

To those who has died trying to cross the treacheries Straight of Florida in search of freedom, due the luck of free expression, work, and the most minimal aspect that we need for and to leave in a free country.

To my family my wife my children and grand children.

To my two younger brothers whom were killed in Angola with Castro’s army where thousands of young Cubans were send to fight Be it Granada, the Caribbean, Afghanistan to African Guinea, Latin America and wherever was a democratic government that Communist government wanted to be introduced.

Wings of Freedom are a series of poems that has grown within me through the years of happiness, suffering, laughing, and crying. These poems have been written not in simple moments, but in moments of real emotion.

The poems are inspired by a variety of emotions and life experiences . . . be it my family, my friends, my adopted country the USA—which I love as much as my homeland Cuba.

Since Castro took over Cuba, the people have been suffering because of the imposed doctrines of Communism and dictates from a barbarian who does not respect himself and even less the eleven million who are suffering the shameful dictates of the unscrupulous criminal.

This land, the United States of America, has given me the opportunity to be free to form a family, to speak my thoughts and mind, and to pursue life and liberty; and America has also given me a very good reason to be happy.

My family.

These poems do not belong to me, but to those who inspired them.

Letter from David L. Williams

March 22, 2000

Felipe,

First off, I want to apologize for taking so long in getting back to you about your poems. It had a prominent place in a pile of magazines, writings, and other things I had on my to read list, and I was determined to get through that list this week.

I really appreciate getting the opportunity to read your poems, and I thought I’d share a few of the thoughts I had while reading them.

•    I love the image of Mother Teresa as a star looking down on us, teaching us sensibility, in Elegy to the Memory of Mother Teresa. I enjoyed all of the tributes to those that have passed on: they were touching and heartfelt.

•    I’m a personal fan of acrostics, which have a beginning in the poetry of the Bible. I think they are often merely clever, but you used the form well to give a sense of the subject of the poem dominating every line with the presence of the letters of their names.

•   On a general note, I really appreciate your many juxtapositions of the beauty of the natural world around us and the benevolence of God above with the cruel and horrible actions of which the