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<span class="title">[[{frst rvlt}|start2]]</span> [[author’s cut|start2]] [[in which is fashioned|start2]] [[an anatomy|start2]] [[of the|start2]] [[first rebellion|start2]] [[in|start2]] <del>[[the americas|start2]]</del> [[on the occasion of its quinto centenario|start2]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[1. in a|3]] [[deserted|3]] [[landscape|3]] </span> </div>

— … — the way they run. write. the way. they run. the way they. f.all. write. th.e. way th.ey. run. w.r.ite the way to t.ell it is . . [[.|4]]

— … — … — the way they. fall. write, they way they. — write: — the way th.ey. sa.y. good.by.e [[write.]]

— … — … the w. ay. . the way to tell. it… [[the way to tell it. is.]]

— see this: a vast landscape… a vast. desert. land.scape… — … — in a vast, deserted yet flush landscape, there are a thou.sand divans… a thousand comfortable beds or seats, next to one thousand chairs or small rugs. on them sit tellers. a thousand tellers. … — and they all tell the s.tory. the sa.me sto.ry. over and over. over and over… | — … — … — one thousand tellers (the other one, is i), who sit by a bed or a comfortable divan, ready to t.ell the t.ale, the same as all the other t.ellers will t.ell. over and over. [[— …]]

a band of. rebels arose. — … — and ho.w… you write… how they… rebelled… — the way. they run… — the way th.ey run. the way. they: run. the way they. run write. th.e. way th.ey. run. the way to tell. it. is. . . [[.|8]]

— … — … the w. ay. . . [[.|9]]

the way to tell it is what the question is. yes, the qu.estion? yes, the q.u.es.tion. | — … — … — the way to tell: what?! — the way to t.ell… whaaaaaat… — it. the first re.volt. — the wa.y. to tell. it — the first. revolt. [[— in 15twenty–]]

the <del>slave</del> rebellion of 15.twentyone hace. qu.inientos. años. | qui.ni.entos. — … … … cómo con.tar. c.ómo con.tar.lo. cóm.o con.tar cóm.o. cómo. cóm. o. (with [[so little information]]

cries… | [[________________|12]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[2. la tierra lo sabe todo|13]] </span> </div>

but there is the earth… and the trees… and the sky… and there is the legend of the river… they say that a ghost appears in the sky every fortnight before the– celebrations of the– | [[and no one knows who it is…]]

dig dig dig rebels arms yells screeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaam… ssss… . . [[.|16]]

dig rebels dig . rebels wounds attacks screams . . [[.|17]]

dig d.i.g. | . . [[.|18]]

in this forsaken place we are trying to–do what? here: on these sites: we are trying to do: what. e.xac.tly?! dig . dig . dig . . . [[.|19]]

we dig… . we dig… . not for heroes no not for heroes no– jus.t dig dig… d.ig… . . [[.|20]]

what was going on: here: there… what is going on there: then… on these grounds these [[fields…]]

we dig… for… truths . <<timed 3s>>> we dig for: memories . <</timed>> <<timed 6s>> we dig for: wounds . <</timed>> <<timed 9s>> we dig: wounds. | . . [[.|22]] <</timed>>

we dig… wounds <div class="fade-inA"> we dig . wounds . . [[.|23]] </div>

we dig… wounds . <<timed 3s>>> we dig: wounds . . [[.|24]] <</timed>>

we dig scars . . [[.|25]]

we dig graves . . [[.|26]]

we dig deep within: to find the courage: to dig some more. | . . [[.|27]]

we dig we d.ig we d.ig deeeeep within– to find the courage: to dig and dig and dig some more and never let: [[go…]] |

we dig dig dig: into forgotten lands… wounded… lands… forgotten tales we dig yeah we dig into forgotten tales… dig into the dirt in.to the d.irt … into the dirts. into: the dirtssss… of all lands . . [[.|29]]

all the dirt of all the lands all the dirts of all the lands not just our own our supposed own . . [[.|30]]

we dig into the dirts of all the lands [[into the dirts of all the lands… not just our own…]]

and still across the same land across the same fields we dig we dig we d.ig… into words [[into worlds–]]

we dig into the bones . the word bones . the word bones . . [[.|33]]

we dig into crimes of centuries past… the fields of remains… the fields of … scattered limbs … [[we dig|dig101]] …

we dig: into the bones of ghosts . . [[.|35]]

we dig dig d.ig… … into scared faces … into scarred faces dig … into words into wounds dig into the wounds of words dig into the bones of ghosts we dig… we dig, [[we d.ig…]]

<div class="fade-inA">dig into the earth</div> <div class="fade-inB">diggers diggers dig into the blank stares the blank pages… </div> <div class="fade-inC"> into the bones of ghosts… we dig . . [[.|37]] </div>

dig into the words into the names into the faces dig the names [[…|intotheblank]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[4. faces/names|39]] </span> </div>

just tell the names. tell the names and. nothing else. just list just list. | no play. no ghost stories. no ambiguous dialogues. just. say. their. names. just. say. their. names. just say. their names. [[but…]] |

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[5. last gazes|41]] </span> </div>

1. (i) the departure where they are the plantation of diego colón … a silence and a solitude (or. a boisterous gathering.) (how does it launch (how does it– [[who has the right to imagine…]] ) )

<div class="ital">the making of a play. that’s the only way to write it. the making of a play. not a play itself. but the making of it. that’s the only way to tell it. structure of a play. actors. interaction. tell of how we are writing the play–about the play. not even the play. a lone performer telling of how the play could go. the play is the beginning. the play about the beginning. in {these}, the stage directions. outside, the actual monologues/dialogues.</div> [[{here we go}]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[ 7. cuts burns cries|45]] [[(500 years of corpses|45]] [[along riverbanks)|45]] </span> </div>

1. cut this first burn the first b.u.rn c.ut c.ries c.orpses [[attack.ed back.]]|

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[8. fissures 1|47]] </span> </div>

there are. no. wo.rds anymore no word.s. the way to t.ell it is to be qu.ie.t… quie.t . . [[.|48]]

the w.ay to tell it is to be qu.ie.t… quie.t and let the. fissures . . [[.|49]]

penetrate… the rooms… the h.alls… the. [[s.pa.ces…|50]]

let the fissures . . . let the fi.ss.ures… become pre.sent… a band may.be… and its sounds… a ca.ba. ret… and its s.ounds… the scree.ching . . [[.|51]]

and the screa.ming … (and the fights of the guerrillas preceding these rebels…) and the howling and the plea.dings… of drums and guitars an.d: horns… the fissures… in the tales… let them… penetrate: ou.r: sanctuaries… [[________________|52]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[9. frozen howl|53]] </span> </div>

1. (i) their eyes. enraged then the laughing. eyes of the convinced [[their. eyes.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[10. the isle|55]] [[of scars|55]] </span> </div>

a teller in the middle of the audience roams. a first voice with everyone seated around. then another from the back. then another. then another. voices from the archipelago of ghosts. voices from unknown worlds. voices unknown. the voices shout: we are all players in a millennial drama! this: is the way to tell it the only way to tell it all: a teller in the middle of the audience together with the voices from the archipelago of ghosts [[…|nnbnbn]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[11. páginas|57]] [[en blanco|57]] </span> </div>

tell us how we must deal with the blank pages of history. [[how to deal with the páginas en blanco.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[12. melchior y|59]] [[su banda|59]] </span> </div>

melchior o… melchior… melchior… ohhhhhhhh melchiohhhhhrrrrrrr [[de castro!]] …

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[13. restless|61]] [[breath|61]] [[delirium|61]] </span> </div>

write the breath . write the run . write the dash . horses . . [[.|62]]

foot . horses . foot . write . the horses write the. foot . write the feet write . the horses . write the running . write the moment . one place to another . one place far . one place close one place far . write how the men how the mean men . write the horses write the foot write the horses write the running write the running write in boots with boots with machetes . write the forces . write the running . write the run . write the running . the chaos of the breath . the chaos . of the breath . the chaos of the fearbreath . the fearbreath . deathbreath . . [[.|63]]

deathbreath . escapebreath . stopbreath . silencebreath . runbreath . write the run write the run . . [[.|64]]

the fearbreath . the deathbreath . fearbreath . deathbreath . silencebreath . escapebreath . walkbreath . runbreath . articulated the reasons the hope the fear the delirium no laugh fearbreath deathtbreath . laughter . delirium . laughing . hahahahahahaha . delirium . the with the men delirium the boys the boys the men the run the dash delirium ahhhhhh hahahahaha the ahhhh breath ahhhhhhhhhhh delirium . . [[.|65]]

look … there… the leaving breath breathe in . breath . when you . when you . breathe . when you fall deathbreath breathbreath runbreath run run nowbreath laterbreath when you get’em you got’em you got’em you get’em delirium ahhhhhh hahahahaha . . [[.|66]]

delirium . stabbing . delirium . killing . delirium . hiding . killing . kill kill kill stab stab stab . the delirium killing . . [[.|67]]

yes i leave when palabras . . [[.|68]]

por qué ningunas palabras solo hombres gritos . . [[.|69]]

deathbreath deathbreath . runbreath . delirium . the spaces run write the palabras sin páginas palabras en el aire gritos . . [[.|70]]

write the run write the humans write the humans dashing write the humans running . write the kill . write the kill . write the kill . write the kill . write the kill . . write the run . write the breath . write the humans running . write the dash . write the deathbreath . write the dashbreath the pages the scroll the pages the rushes the dashes the renegades the breath . of renegades . the breath . of renegades . the breath . of rebels . breath of rebels . write the kill . write the kill . write… deathbreath dashbreath killbreath donebreath done donebreath done done done done breathebreath breathebreath… . . [[.|71]]

cómo cómo write: the breath write: the run write: the dash write: [[the run]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[14. subtle sounds|74]] [[of ghosts in|74]] [[stillness rising|74]] </span> </div>

there is only one way to tell it: this depiction of walking and falling. walking and falling sliding slipping screeching there is only the attempt at– attempt at rising: only way to tell it: the subtle sounds of the attempt at rising… attempt at rising… only way to tell it all only way to write it all let the ghosts rise… let the ghosts rise… let the ghosts wander let the ghosts rise… [[let the ghosts rise always let the ghosts rise…]]

— long ago, i imagined how in another world on a rooftop, the generals fell, when they were shot, [[by the]] |

how many falls do we depict… how: many: fall? how many falls–shall we: depict… — how many: fall? how many falls–shall we: portray… — how will we write the chapter — … — … — … — will there be a chapter on the ways they… the ways we: fall… . . [[.|78]]

— must there always be the chapter on the ways they fall… the ways they fell… how many fall… how many falls shall we depict in all these chapters of rebellions and revolutions all . . [[.|79]]

— fallen like the fallen… fallen. like the fallen . . [[.|80]]

— we will one day tell all the ways: they fall … all the ways… they fall… all the ways… they: <<timed 3s>>fall…<</timed>> [[hey!|bnabjdjj]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[16. don cristóbal|82]] [[colón is|82]] [[offended|82]] </span> </div>

the admiral standing across the continent watching over the massacres is offended: that they wanted to leave… the plantation… standing erect! looking across the continent! [[from the plazas of the continent!]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[17. elegy|84]] [[for a dead|84]] [[rebel|84]] </span> </div>

{i invite an audience member to come to the center and lie on the ground.} [[there is a d.ead reb.el in the field.]]

al lado del muerto en el quinto centenario . . . [[________________|86]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[18. i want to tell you|87]] [[about benito cereno|87]] [[(+ intermission)|87]] </span> </div>

i want to tell you about benito cereno. that’s all. just want to tell you. informal. cool. that’s what we should do. just exchange stories. and maybe start a study group. representations of <del>slave</del> revolts. with guidebooks and more… a grand invitation to all: to form a group and gather works, across media, where the revolt of <del>slaves</del>, is represented, depicted, memorialized, mediatized, marked. across many. many. many. [[mediums.]]

1. (i) the fate of the foot of rebel x is the fate of the foot of me … the fate of the foot of x has been written into law. the fate of the foot of x [[has been written into law.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[20. portrait of|91]] [[a burning house|91]] </span> </div>

the way to write it is to allow the house to burn the burning house burning allow it to burn and to make the portrait of the burning house the burning house and the blades of grass from multiple perspectives and angles the burning house let it burn and tell its– make its portrait with a few fragments–. the tale is told by various players/characters dead and alive and also by the trees the wind the mutilated and the mutilators by others and me it is the portrait of a burning house in the field and perhaps that: is the only way to write it. all. told by a handful of folks, from different angles for each. [[this is the way to tell it after all.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[21. los árboles|93]] [[también|93]] [[están llorando|93]] </span> </div>

— … — … — … — … — los árboles también están llorando porque los árboles tienen memorias . . [[.|94]]

— los árboles están llorando and the trees in their stillness the trees in the mountain and the plants around the trees of the old world know of the coming the clouds and the sky they know what’s coming and they know what’s up they know what’s coming they’ve known what’s coming for decades and decades and centuries [[they’ve known what’s coming!]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[22. nottherightnames|96]] </span> </div>

the way to tell it is to repeat that the <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> are wrong. not the right <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>>. that is all you need to do. the only thing you must do. repeat over and over: that the <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> are wrong. not the right <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> not the right <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>>. a symphony. not the right <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> we must change all the <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>>. that is the only thing we should do. say not the right <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> say we will change all the <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> say not the right <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> not the right <<timed 4s>>names<</timed>> [[nottherightnames...|that is the only thing we should do. say not the right names say we will change all the names say not the right names not the right names nottherightnames…]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[23. the mutilated|98]] [[world|98]] </span> </div>

bodies of hu.mans b.odies of ri.v.ers bodies of moun.tains [[los ríos an.d|tttt]]

mutilated island… san.guine… fill.ed with t.err.or… o bloodthirs.ty te.rror the ma.stermind: ovando the mutilator… [[they will not forget…]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[24. an anthology|101]] [[of laments|101]] </span> </div>

the way to write it: only tell of the laments that is all that is needed the laments tell the tale the laments tell the whole story and in fact, only the laments count only the laments count–all the laments and they all lament they all… lament just tell the laments… tell the laments [[that’s the only way to tell it all…]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[25. fissures 2|103]] </span> </div>

there are new words… there were new wo.rds… but still: the w.ay to tell it all, the way to tell it all: abolish the words… abolish the s.ounds… of words… [[no. wo.rds anymore no word.s.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[26. pauses &|105]] [[palabras|105]] </span> </div>

1. (i) you don’t need a lot of words you don’t need my words you don’t need | don’t need many words you don’t need many words just pauses … … long pauses… long . . [[.|106]]

pauses… that’s all you need… long pauses… all we need . . [[.|107]]

and blanks… lots of blank pages… (not the wrong type of blank pages but the right kinds of blank pages…) the absence of words (ii) just pauses stares gazes… (iii) stares … long pauses the imagining do you know . . [[.|108]]

how to . . [[.|109]]

imagine … [[how things unfold|how things unfoldb]]

the first revolt on the plantation of yet another colón (iv) you don’t need… a lot… of words… you don’t need a lot of words… you don’t need. a lot of words… just long pauses… just. long. pauses… ________________ 4. (i) you don’t need. a lot of. words… just long… pauses… just long pauses… and the right kinds. of blank pages… (ii) ________________ ________________ (iii) you don’t need. a lot of words… just long pauses… just long pauses… [[________________|111]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[27. the book|112]] [[of sighs|112]] </span> </div>

i found a book. on the field. there was no one in. the f.ields and. i f.ound a boo.k. it. had appeared some.how may.b.e the. wind. or. the hu.rricane had. d.ug up the. book. there were. leaves. around. the b.ook. how could. there be. a book when– th.is is– [[who. would.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[28. diego y yo|114]] </span> </div>

1. not so easily not so easily will i leave you off the hook diego. ¡te apostrofo! diego colón, je t’apostophe–! this was what launched it all: i standing alone at night in front of your historical house [[on this land.]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[29. lafin’ d’all|116]] </span> </div>

stillness . ambushes . a revolt . a silence . scars . a laughing doll . spelling out . literally . the end . of everything: . laughing doll… . laughin’ doll… . laughin’ d’all… . lafin’ d’all… . la fin d’all… lafin’ d’all . la fin d’all… lafin’ d’all . la fin d’all lafin’ d’all… . la fin d’all lafin’ d’all… . la fin d’all… and corpses on display to frighten all the others… | lafin’ d’all . . [[.|118]]

la fin d’all… again… the end all of all… the end all of all… | la fin d’all the laughter and the cries … lafin’ d’all… . . [[.|119]]

la fin d’all… again… the end all of all… the end all of all… la fin d’all the laughter and the cries [[…|ooffffiii]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[30. the sorrows|121]] [[of the last|121]] [[cacique|121]] </span> </div>

from the top of the mountain from the top of the spire of the cathedral from the top of the so-called freedom tower here in nyc from the center of cities and the outskirts of towns and the middle of fields the last cacique looks on at the devastation the last glance the last gaze– these sorrows… i, the last cacique [[have seen the devastation and the destruction|hhddrreerr]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[31. fissures 3|123]] </span> </div>

al.ways the fi. ssures will pen.e.trate… the fa.br. ic of the. tale… al.ways… the f. i. ssures . . [[.|124]]

ab.ol.ish the words… abolish. the sounds… of . . [[.|125]]

w.ords… abolish. all else. ab.olish… all there is not no. wo.rds any.more no. word.s. no sen.tences m. a. de of. words or tales… no . . [[.|126]]

more… <em>the way to tell it is to be… (qu.ie.t…) word.less… the way to make it work is to let the . . [[.|127]] </em>

<em>fissures take… over… the spaces of our lives the spaces of: r.e.a.li. ties… </em> let the fissures… these new: [[fissures…]]

with.out murmur.s too withou.t whis.pers… without lamen.ts or sighs… [[or so.rrows…]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[32. toh ki hasti|130]] </span> </div>

— … — toh ki hasti? — … — toh ki hasti… — … — toh ki hasti . . [[.|131]]

— … — quién quién eres tú. — … — toh ki hasti ke dastan een enghelab rah, ta’rif koni qui.én . . [[.|132]]

quién eres tú … — … — if they ask, quién eres tú, begoo man. batcheye tehranam– va man enghelab rah, deedam… man batcheye iranam. va man enghelab rah mishnasam… — … — quién eres tú si me preguntan i’d tell them that i . . [[.|133]]

am a child of the revolution i… am a child of the revolution i… am a child of the revolution i… am a child of the revolution i… am a child of the revolution i… am a child of the revolution and i know the heart of the matter When it comes to the revolt of humans . . [[.|134]]

— … — man: een hagh rah be khodam dadam ke een tafsir rah bekonam quién quién quién eres tú quién… quién eres tú… — man batcheyeh een sarzaminam man batcheye een diaram man batcheyeh een djahanam — quién eres tú quién eres tú… — man sin sharm sin shak sin hesitancy een hagh rah midaham be khodam keh een dastan rah begooyam . . [[.|135]]

— quién eres tú quién eres tú … — … — … — i do give myself the right to tell of this revolt i do give myself the right to tell of this revolt i do give myself the right to tell of this revolt i do give myself the right to tell of this revolt een dastan rah benevisam . . [[.|136]]

— quién eres tú… — man batcheyeh tehranam man batcheyeh een djahanam — … — … — quién eres tú to tell la historia de de los primeros rebeldes–! — i am a child of the revolution i am a child of the revolution i am a child of the revolution . . [[.|137]]

man batcheye tehranam . . [[.|138]]

— quién eres tú… — man haghighatgoo hastam truthteller supreme– quién soy yo yo soy un hijo del mundo que no va a dejarlo sin contarlo … voy a contarlo de mi manera con esta voz [[…|eueueueueue]]

— … — i am a child of the revolution i am a child of the revolution yo: soy the unnamed rebel i am a child of the revolution and i will tell how in 1521 a band of rebels rose — … — y lo voy a gritar . . [[.|140]]

el grito de toda la historia el grito de los <del>esclavos</del> sublevados … — quién eres tú… — y si me dices, quién eres tú toh ki hasti i will say i am a child of the revolution i will tell the story of the rebellion and of the undead rebel at the tomb of the unknown rebel. i will tell the story of the rebellion because– i will tell the story of the rebellion because– i will tell the story of the rebellion because: i am a child of the revolution. | — … — i… will tell the story i will tell the story of the rebellion because i am a child of the revolution so don’t ask me quién eres tú don’t ask me toh ki hasti! | — … — so don’t ask me quién eres tú don’t ask me toh ki hasti i i will tell the story of the rebellion because: i am a child of the revolution– | — … — i i will tell the story of the rebellion because: i am a child of the revolution forevermore… [[________________|141]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[33. the archives of silences|142]] </span> </div>

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[34. the next revolt|144]] </span> </div>

you were not brought to this land … you were not brought to this land … enslaved … [[aboard ships]]

<div class="top"> <span class="chapter"> [[35. epilogue|rrt]] [[the remembrance|rrt]] [[road trip|rrt]] </span> </div>

* now you go and now you’ve gone and now– you’ve seen and now– ( — no fuiste… — no fuiste so many times… — tú ibas a ir… — a drive along… — drive along the road and drive far along the road and — … look at the sites you don’t go to — no fuiste — otra vez delayed — … — one more time — delayed — because… — no chance to see yet… — who walked where–y por qué caminaron por aquí — no chance to see yet, what the path would have been– — todavia the same vegetation, the same rock formations… — centuries later, we can imagine the path, because geological formations last so much longer than us all… — quién, quién eres tú… — para darte el derecho de ir, to drive and… — quién, quién eres tú… ) now you’ve gone and now– you’ve seen and now– the fragments and the scenes and– the drive… the remembrance road trip… and the wounds… and the howls… in that deep, dark, sky… * we have to go, all day… all day and then at night we’ll stay at a hotel somewhere along the road… somewhere along the road… the times you didn’t go, those times you delayed it all… and i kept wondering if ever, you’ll find the courage to go… and walk or drive… along the road… where the rebels/<del>slaves</del> marched… me preguntaba si un día de verdad we’ll see it all… discover verdaderamente el camino y tal vez tal vez, escribir ahí mismo aquí: walked the rebels of the not-so-new world… aquí, la primera revolución. (and here i see the ghosts in the sky… and here i find the book of sighs…) … * de qué tienes miedo–what do you fear– por qué tienes miedo. why–indeed… maybe you’re afraid that the path is nothing more than another forgotten patch of grass and land and– or that the path can’t even be made out or that no one cares and when you talk to folks even then no one cares ¿tienes miedo? no, surely you realize that is much ado about… nothing at all… * what are you afraid of? maybe it’s not fear but banality. maybe i sense the banality already… that i’m talking to people to folks and nothing nothing anyone knows makes any difference they don’t care they’ve never heard of it and then they shake their heads and it doesn’t matter– maybe the reality that this was just a little uprising and not much more, quickly dissipated and destroyed and– that happens every day in so many places… and even there we do nothing… tal vez, tengo miedo de eso: de que todos somos culpables… even now… and so… who cares, about 500 years ago when these roads were unpaved… and so… is this really necessary… these fragments of a remembrance road trip… a remembrance drive… … * hoy en la noche deberías prepararte pero no fuiste por qué no fuiste por qué no fuiste no sé tal vez tengo miedo miedo de qué no sé tal vez tú tienes miedo de lo que descubrirás o tal vez, de lo que no descubrirás… ( ( de qué tienes miedo… de qué me pregunten, por qué tú. por qué tú, allá, así… o tal vez, tú tienes miedo de hacerte la pregunta: qué hago aquí, tan lejos, de mi mundo de donde nací de donde vengo– …) tal vez tengo miedo… que me pregunten qué locura estoy haciendo, instead of just hanging out at the beach… … … ) tal vez, tal vez no tengo miedo… o tengo miedo que… nada nunca es nada… la vida es toda una banalidad… los hombres se rebelan–y nada pasa… los hombres se escapan–y los recuperan, y les cortan los pies… los hombres pelean… y se van a las montañas… y nada… tal vez, nada importa–ni la crueldad, ni la violencia, ni las matanzas… tal vez, tengo miedo… que nada importa… y que a nadie le importa tampoco… tal vez por eso… (estoy cansado también… cansado, de tanto dolor…) * tuve un sueño anoche que me iba, solo, por la carretera– ahí aparecieron fantasmas, a cada lado de la ruta… startled i would point them out, but no one was seeing them and everyone was telling me to calm down no, no, it’s not a delusion, they’re right there right there right there but nobody saw them and they hunkered down and tried to hold me down a cada lado and the ghost as everyone told me to calm down and simmer down, still looked and laughed and said, no one else can see us don’t you get it nadie nos puede ver solo los que nos quieren ver solo los que nos lleven en su mente solo ellos… solo tú… and with those words i came down and all along the carretera, i saw the ghosts rising and rising and rising and we winked and nodded and they would appear and vanish as the car careened down the road… and i smiled and i smiled again and yes–they hugged me they hugged me and we all smiled and danced all along the road all along the road on the remembrance drive… * ( es que… esta zona tú la conoces muy bien… you’ve written it… you’ve imagined it, dreamt it, thought it… la zona… everything around la zona, including this episode, with your confrontation with diego… ahí, solos, en la noche, tú y… diego– la zona–como lo has escrito… como lo has imaginado… esta ruta, sale de la zona esta ruta, vive en la zona esa ruta, está en las lágrimas de la zona y también en el aire de la zona en estas calles en estas piedras en estas visiones en estos muros en estos retratos… todo… here… yes: this route this road goes out of the zona lives in the zona is in the heart of the zona and also in the air in these streets in these rocks in these visions in these portraits the zona is the point zero the zona is the point of departure… maybe it’s there that the howl, the first howl, rises… * — … — why not imagine it all — … — no drive and no remembrance road trip and no– — … — the people. the cars. the convos. the motorcycles… — yea–it matters so little. — … — the whole thing– — so forgotten… — because never even acknowledged–right… — … — … — maybe you should ask why you even care. whether it’s worth going. — … — para qué. — por qué… ( nadie va a saber nada. nobody cares. a nadie le importa nada. ( nobody will care. nobody anywhere will care at all. ) imagine them all. imagine the people. the crossings. the paths. the roads. quédate and travel in absence… stay, in this distance… in this space far away from it all… ) * and if i were there, this fragment and if i were there, that fragment this fragment that fragment chatting with people asking them if they know that along his road, five hundred years ago, the first revolt– preguntando si saben lo que aquí sucedió… and how they would respond and how– if i were there if only… * respira respira… talking to folks with the drive along the road… we find the road… somehow find the road… make a map… somehow make a map… somehow make a map… along the road… to nizao… no te preocupes tanto hombre… no te preocupes tanto… olvídalo … tú verás pronto… tú caminaras pronto… tú verás pronto… por donde caminaron y lucharon los otros… no te preocupes hombre… pronto, lo verás todo… * nizao el río nizao nizao el río tiene un sonido muy interesante el sonido pero en la época no se llamaba así or, did it have the same name… cómo se llamaba en esa época cómo se llamaba el territorio cómo se llamaba… antes nizao nizao * en las calles los viejos en las calles los carros en las calles los camiones en las calles los caminantes en las calles los caminos y los que venden sus platanitos en las calles los chivos en las calles no sign of what happened here so so long ago… ( ( just like los pasajes de antes los viajes de antes cuando yo tampoco sabía (cuando yo caminaba como si nada ) cuando yo tampoco sabía lo que había pasado aquí hace quinientos años… (the corpses along riverbanks… the wounds… the wounds in all the fields– and the howls in the deep dark skies…) ) ) * don’t worry. don’t hurry. we walk. get out and talk. slowly. we speak. to the citizens of now. to the ghosts of then. of five hundred years along riverbanks. fragments of a remembrance road trip. fragments of a remembrance drive. how they don’t talk about it. how they don’t talk about the rebels here. they don’t talk about the rebels here, i ask, over and over. they don’t talk about the rebels here, the answer, over and over… * citadel in the sky from there we can see it all without the curtains that hide it all i will live in this citadel i will live in this citadel and from the citadel i will see and hear and tell from the citadel i will tell the tale of the first revolt and tell the citizens of the tale of the first revolt on these paths on these roads… from the citadel i will tell it all and it will be clear all crystal clear… along the road how we went along the road how we saw the remembrance drive the remembrance road trip… * (purposeful the delays you’d make up things like how you could do more research before going better planning more writing before going and… more research… (no: the research is on the field is in the field only in the field…) that’s the only place in the field… no fear no hesitation… (as if they would ask you why why you– and why do you care why don’t you just forget like everyone else quién eres tú… the question… ) the research: in the field the research–is just a search just a meditative road trip a weird kind of trip… ) * poco a poco olvidarás. olvidarás, tú también. (you’ll forget how you wanted to find the route how you wanted to hear the sounds how you wanted to walk in the same spaces… ) poco a poco olvidarás. que un dia te importaba cómo actuaron los que no podían más. y como ahora se van cuando no pueden más. poco a poco olvidarás. poco a poco olvidarás que tenías miedo. y poco a poco olvidarás que un dia olvidaste– * i await with anticipation that i’ve built how it will be to finally walk or drive or– along this route along these roads on these fields i wait still… * espera… espera. todo se arregla espera con paciencia y tranquilidad… * y el aire… el mismo. y el azul del cielo… el mismo. y el verde de los árboles… el mismo. y la música de la lluvia… la misma. y el deseo de libertad… el mismo y la luz del sol la misma… * i’m not a fool. i will not be fooled. i will not fool myself. but i go. must walk. must drive. must go along that route. must see along that path. must imagine that path. along that path… along that path… not a fool. but i must see… i must feel… that path… * ( ( ( rest easy– the ghosts will await you: the ghosts are going nowhere: the ghosts are going nowhere… ) ) ) * … … — … — … — i imagine the conversations… — … — i imagine the solitary walk… — … … … — i imagine the meditations– — … — i imagine the desire to unearth… — … — i imagine the debates… — … — i imagine the disagreements even… — … … … — i imagine the meditations… — … — i imagine the desire to dig… dig dig… — … … … — i know i will look at the sky… — … — i know i will interrogate the universe… — … — i know i will shout and scream… — … — hey you, you, do you know what went down here, so many centuries ago… — … … … — hey you do you know what went down here so many years ago — … — i know i will walk — … — i know i will walk along these roads… — … — i do– — … — i do walk along these roads and these fields… — … — on this remembrance drive… — … — this remembrance road trip… — … — fragments of hallucinations… — … — fragments soon to be abandoned to the winds… * but later is now because forever is always now and the ghosts can wait and the corpses still are strewn and the paths are still there (and your spirit and your desire and your knowledge and… ) and thus and so… * the wait. the imagined wait. the wait. the desired wait. the wait. is not a problem. the wait. is not an issue. the wait. will only make everything more poignant. the wait has passed. (imagino conversaciones. imagino descripciones. imagino meditaciones. imagino circulaciones. imagino navigaciones. de emociones. de pensamientos. de deseos. (imagino silencios. silencios. eternos. silencios eternos.) ) * ¡cuántos fragmentos! how many fragments from before– how many fragments do we need– how many fragments do we write… how many fragments for you on these fields and on this road… these fragments need to cease… what for, these fragments… y cuando llegas– ahí comienza… tu diálogo with the ghosts of long ago still hovering still hovering… with the river and the sky and the clouds and the fields… still remembering… on this drive– on this drive… * — what other entries can you concoct… — … — what’s the ultimate entry… — … … … — what other fragment– — … — what other conversation… — … — what other description… — … … … — there is so little… — … — so little along the riverbanks… — … — no one knows and no one cares and– … … — … — … — the howls in the sky… — the wounds… the wounds in the earth… — … — … — what else can you imagine… — who else can you talk to… … … — … — … — qué más… — … — qué más… — … — qué– — … — … — … — más… … … — there is no path to nizao nizao does not exist there is no path along the river nizao does not exist aquí no hay aquí no hay nada there is no nizao there was no revolt there is nothing to walk or navigate or there is nothing. * i am here estoy aquí (no todavía no.) i am here estoy aquí (no. todavía no.) i am i am here i walk along this riverbank i drive along this road i imagine i connect i see i feel i sense or–is this all just another hallucination… * — … — i walk along these grounds. — … — i have come to this place and i walk along these grounds. — … — i walk the route. — … — along the river. — … — along the same river. — … — … … … … — there are now churches. — there are now stores. — there are now all the trappings of our lives… — … — … … … … — a church… — ask, all the time… are we even sure, this is where it happened… — … — today: ask: señor, did you know that… — go ahead and dig… — quienes eran estos hombres — … — aquí, en este terreno… — … — de quién es este terreno anyway… … … … — on this ground that now you hope to render– — on this land in this place… — that you are hoping to… — five hundred years ago ( portraits of sites the imagined sites this too is imagined dig then: (from one side of the room a shout) here: from another, a shout (here) they were tilling the field from all accounts from what you can find they are now tilling the field ) h.e.r.e. — on this ground — that you — now hope — to — somehow tell all about… — on this land in this place — that you are hoping to — forget, too, like everyone else… i will tell the story of the rebellion and of the undead rebels we will make a monument a monument to the unknown rebel at the tomb of the unknown rebel. * ( los ciudadanos de nizao no conocen la historia de la rebelión los niños de nizao no han oído de la primera rebelión (in 1521, there was a revolt… ) (quiero gritar. quiero sentarme en el centro de la plaza y gritar. ) ( gritar todo el tiempo. quiero caminar y gritar. quiero caminar por donde caminaron y gritar. hombres de nizao, escúchenme: hace quinientos años…) ) * stop. stop. in due time. relax. be patient. in due time. stop. in due time. in due time… [[________________|rrt2]]

they say that at a precise hour, a curious howl in the sky appears… whose howl is that in the deep dark sky… along with the death screams of the rebels… and that’s why you turn, that’s why [[you hear it…]]

but not everyone hears it… not everyone hears it… the way to tell it is to let the sky tell it let the earth tell it let the trees tell let la tierra tell it all… [[the way to tell is to let la tierra tell it…]]

let. la tierra… tell it. [[all…]]

— but the earth knows… knows it. all… — la tierra. lo sabe. to.do… | — … — … [[la tierra lo sabe: todo…]]

(they say the earth knows–. they say the tree.s see–and do not forget. they say that even the clou.ds and the sky… (don’t ask me how) they say: that the ear.th and the sky and the g.ods of battles and the god.s of martyrs and the gods. of. rebellions remember always: the re.vol.ted men of 1521 that angelic: god of rebellious people: [[never forgets.)|theyhavemade]] |

— … — they have made way for you, for us. — … — and that howl in the sky… you see it. and you turn… [[and you begin to run…]]

— … — … — and then: you pau.se again — … — beg.in to: run — … — is it those ghos.ts of mass.a.c.res past… — those. gh.osts. of reb.ellion.s past… — the g.ods o.f… — the an.gels of… — they have raz.ed the field… — and off.ered us a glimpse… — the faces. of the rebels… — the souls. of the rebels and how… — the earth and the sky. the trees and the du.nes. the van.quish.ed souls and the ghos.ts [[of centuries. lost.]]

— … — i’ve heard it said that the earth itself. tells the tales: if we knew h.ow to. listen. i’ve heard it s.aid: there are no. ghosts i’ve hear.d it. said. — … — … — the story of a f.irst rev.olt. that f.irst revolt… — … — christmas time: 1521… — the men working on the sugar plantation of diego colón… — rebel– | [[— …|theearthknows]]

— … — the earth knows h.ow to tell. the sk.y… — … — … is a.live. the earth will tell. — the ear.th. with us. will tell… | — … — … — we must trust the earth and the sky and the memory of the winds… — we will trust the earth and the sky and the winds and how they tell… — … [[— …|andtheysay]]

— and they say: there is no.thing lef.t to do, but to l.isten–wa.tch and listen… — … — listen to the. w.ind… — listen to the. s.ky… — listen to the. trees… — of the land wh.ere… — that is how you tell… — how you. re.tell… — … — the wind: can tell us about the bl.ood… — the sky: can tell us about the cries… — the trees c.an t.ell us ab.out the sc.r.ea.ms–and the w.ounds… — they will all tell us of the w.ounds of the r.ebelled… — … — how to tell. — … — the <del>slave</del> rebellion of [[15twentyone|the slave rebellion of 15twentyone]]

the. <del>slave</del> rebellion of 15.twentyone [[hace. qui.ni.entos. años.]]

and i listened and i heard at the precise hour i saw the howl in th.e. i the watcher saw th.e. i heard the sc.reams with the. trees… and i h.eard… the cries… in the skies and the wind telling of… the f.low of b.lood… i heard and then i began [[to run]]– |

i turned and ran… i ran and i ran… i r.an along the river at speeds unfathomed i ran– i ran by the tree.s and the r.ocks and the chil.dren march.ing along i ran… [[i ran by the passersby and the s.miling bo.ys and the sullen souls…]]

ran by the men coming back from fishing– and ran by the motorcyclists and ran by the cars: along the: roa.d.way going to their des.tinations by the sound of bl.ood and the c.ries in the skies i ran and i ran and i ran– and i ran and i ran: to save my soul [[save. my. life…]]

i ran and i ran along the riverbank at speeds faster and faster to save my life… [[to save my soul…]]

— how to t.ell? — … [[— so the leg.end goes…]]

— how to t.ell? — … — so the leg.end goes… at the precise hour, along the riverbanks, a cu.rious h.owl in the sky… is it your own howl… a rebel’s howl or the [[howl of a ghost]] …

— how to t.ell? — … — so the leg.end goes… at the precise hour, along the riverbanks, a cu.rious h.owl in the sky… is it your own howl… a rebel’s howl or the howl of a ghost … — … or [[the howl of the watcher…]]

— … — i ran and i ran along the riverbanks and heard the legend [[mixed in with the death screams of the rebels…]]

— … [[wh.o: who hears it… ?]] …

— … who. [[wh.o. hears. it]] …

only those who have seen humans rebel… only those who kn.ow of men, wh.o rebel… only those who shar.e the lust. for revolt… i heard as i ran along the riverbanks [[only they hear the howl along the river who know that humans. must. rebel…]]

— … only they hear them… i heard as i ran… learn to see the lust for revolt… and you’ll hear the howl of the ghosts of the first rebels… [[i heard as i ran and i ran…]]

— … i ran and i r.an endlessly ra.n down the h.ill. and along the b.ank and up the hill and a.long the bank i ran and i ran [[and i ran and i ran–]]

by the walkers and the runners and the fishermen and the [[cyclists and the motorcyclists and the–]]

[[i ran and i r.an]]

i ran and i r.an [[and i ran and i ran]]

i ran and i r.an and i ran and i ran [[to avert my e.yes and]]

i ran and i r.an and i ran and i ran to avert my e.yes and [[save my life]]

and save. my. soul. [[________________|14]]

. we dig . we dig . we [[d.ig…]] |

we: are diggers diggers. d.ig.gers. [[we are diggers and diggers… dig…]]

we dig: truths . . [[.|21]]

… d.ig… into the wounds the wounds that accompany us the wounds that accompany: you … we dig into: unhealable wounds [[and in the days of–]]

dig into the wounds in the minds of the soldiers battling the rebels rebelling into: the thirst for blood into: the thirst for riches we dig… dig into the wounds in cities and the country-side the men and women and children, enslaved, [[given to till the lands of others for others–]]

dig into that wound those wounds dig across the globe dig the isles of scars dig the lands [[across the plantations…]]

dig: into the homes dig into the words dig into the wounds [[of words…]] |

we dig into all the words… so deep the wounds the words are outlawed … so deep the wounds . . [[.|31]]

to dig … i walked along these fields five hundred years later five hundred years after and still along the same riverbanks and still along the same road the bodies buried here you sense them the bodies buried: here … we yearn to dig and dig some more… [[but the bodies–]] |

dig enriquillo and his band! burning and battling guerilla style all fair now on this land… [[dig?]]

o yeah we dig … into the souls of ghosts the ghosts i see, the ghosts i seek dig into the bones i smell the bones i– dig into the bones: of ghosts . . [[.|34]]

dig… and find the ghosts of this rebellion in the corpses of this rebellion the bodies strewn across this archipelago of– dig dig [[dig–]]

we are diggers into the legends . <div class="fade-inA"> into the legends . . [[.|36]] </div>

into the blank pages… and the faces… dig… [[…|intothebones]]

into the bones of ghosts we dig into the wounds of words we dig… into the forgotten names… into the wounded names… we dig… into the names of ghosts… we dig into the names into the names… into: the names… we dig… [[________________|38]]

what were their names. which names. whose names. the way to write it is to tell the names. make the faces known and tell the names. no artifice. only the faces. only the names. the full names. [[tell. the names.]]

{an actor comes forward} i am the first victor of the first revolt of the <del>slave</del> trade in what has come to be called the americas the continent will be divided [[my name is–]] |

[[i would like to show you the way i succumbed to my wounds!]]

{another actor comes forward} i am the first <del>slave</del> to have been murdered within a revolt in the americas. everyone wants their claim to fame right, but. [[my name is–|nostalgicdreamer]] |

a nostalgic dreamer, i long to tell of | the– of the– [[of the–|anothercomesforward]] |

{another comes forward} a hero without a name, is what i am hero without a name hero without a… [[my name is–|igrabbedhim]] |

[[i grabbed him like so–he was more cowardly than i thought!]]

{another comes forward} el matador: their cavalry then caught up to me. they were as vicious as always. . . [[my name is–|illlaugh]] |

[[i’ll laugh in your face always fuckers–how do you say that in ess.pag.nol!]]

{another comes forward and another and another…} i am a witness to their first murder within the revolt the first encircling the first debacle i… he approached from the left he approached from above the witness–of a genocide the likes of which | [[my name is–|andistabbed]] |

[[and i stabbed him right in the… balls!]]

{another actor comes forward and another and another…} i’ve long thought of changing names different names pseudonyms take out the names all the time aim to liberate ourselves, from our names [[the nameless wanderers…]]

{a young person reaches out} i was a child of one of the rebels. they came to teach us a lesson, after some of the men ran away. the maroons. we, were held in bondage, forevermore. a future maroon making forays into their– | [[i ran… away]]

my name is… | my name is… | [[my name is…|givetheirnames]] |

give their names what are their names whose names do you give [[when you don’t know–]]

their names when they have been stripped of– [[their names!]]

when their names are ways of rooting [[their enslavement]]

say their names whose names do we say when the names are– | scream their names whose names do we scream [[when their names–]]

tell their names tell their names tell their names their own names the names at birth the names in the bosom the names in the the names what could have been their names [[what could have been their lives]]

echoes of their names echoes of their [[names–.|butwhatif]]

but what if. what if… what–since… all, given names [[are names of oppressors…]] |

[[what name to give since all given names are names of oppressors…]] |

what names to give since all given names are names of oppressors… | they are given the names of… every name, is the name of an oppressor! or… [[every name…]]

the words of the administrators the words of the conquistadores the words of the scholars the words of the princes the words of theorists even the framing they were black they were indians they were muslims they were africans they were… the names of the law-writers… the law-makers… [[the law-installers…]]

what name to give since all given names are names of oppressors… | so so… so… so… maybe… say not! their names! not! not! say not their names! [[no names no faces no names…]]

don’t say their names don’t say their names [[don’t say their names]] |

<div class="bignames">since all given names [[are names of oppressors…|nonamesthereare]] | </div>

no names… there are no names… no names… <span class="bignames">don’t say their names</span> <span class="bignames">no names…</span> <span class="bignames">no names…</span> the name you use the name you use the name you use <span class="bignames">[[don’t use]]</span>

the story of the name is everywhere, the same. the story of the name is everywhere, [[the same.]]

all given names are names of oppressors… | all given names are names of oppressors… | <span class="bignames">all given names</span> <span class="bignames">[[are names of oppressors…|arenamesof]] | </span>

no names no names <span class="bignames">no names</span> <span class="bignames">no</span> names just faces no names just faces no faces just no names just no [[names]]

<div class="bignames">no names no names just faces no names just faces no faces just no names just no [[names|justtellthenames]] | </div>

but. what were . are . their names. [[________________|40]]

(ii) are there loved ones to embrace are there goodbyes to tell are there belongings to tuck away are there items to hand down are there priceless gems to are there are. [[there–]] |

(iii) the premonition the lives that. will be lost the lives. lost. the lives. that will. be lost the lives. the teller in the. the objects the gazes the gazes in the eyes of (whom?) the gaze askance the gaze in the distance the gaze in the eyes of the embraces of ([[whom?]])

(iv) who will [[who]] |

2. (i) the arms they made the arms they made were the stuff of the everyday hammers and sickles and nails and knives and sharpened poles objects turned into arms [[they took the machetes and took the–]]

the arms they made: the knives and the stones and sharpened poles– what other arms what other arms they take with them how do they walk | the machete they say the machete is made of the machete a simple machetes and knives with those they walk with those. they. dream of. imagine. with machetes uprising [[with those they dream of–]]

and sharpened poles … and sharpened poles … [[machetes and knives and sharpened poles]] … |

(ii) the clothes they wear there is no armor there’s no (protection–? or what kind of protection made out of.) there’s no– it’s sandals and (is it. is it sandals only sandals but then of what–) it’s necklaces and armbands and loose shirts (is it loose shirts or. maybe loose shirts they wore but for this who can tell is it really loose–) it’s the life of the rebellion (but do they walk [[are they walking]]

(do they. they must. write the walk. write the. write the clothes [[write the.]] | ) )

(iii) trinkets and the little stones in the– and the good luck charms in the– and the bandanas in the pockets to protect from (good luck charms or. [[other.]] ) |

3. (i) the moments they wait… the wait is long but it is painless because there is nothing bigger than this mission and this wait is a start to the long road ahead xmas time on purpose while their oppressors are celebrating the god of | the christian god of | the wait: is not a long wait, not a weary wait [[not a bad wait, not it’s not a–]] |

(ii) they march along the riverbank and along the. river in these. movements knowing they. they. will assemble. along the river. the great liberation. the river they. walk along the. river to the other plantations… that is the first of many because so many will follow and so many will and so many will– [[they walk along the–]]

(iii) the silence, that moment of silence they know, the moment of silence they cherish and how (do they know there is a moment of silence ( (is there a moment of (silence is there ) ) ) ) [[and adore that moment of silence before the–]]

(iv) [[the silence before the–]]

(v) [[the silence before. the.]] |

(vi) there is a silence before the. a silence that that has been generated a. great silence there is nothing that compares to. this. silence before the. grand battle nothing that nothing. that. [[nothing|theywalkalong]] |

(vii) they walk along the river and they know what awaits surely they know but they also believe they believe they will feel free they believe they will be: free– they believe. they believe. they believe. | [[________________|42]]

just tell the names. tell the names and. nothing else. just list just list. no play. no ghost stories. no ambiguous dialogues. just. say. their. names. just. say. their. names. [[just say. their names.]]

the lights go off. {the lights do go off} there is commotion {there is commotion. the band. the others. visible. players of this night making the commotion.} silhouette of a couple of men in their moment of uncertainty. [[silhouette of men pondering. together. actions before.]]

the lights come on. [[{the lights come back on for a few seconds}]]

the lights go back out. {the lights do go back out} slight wait. [[{a slight wait}]]

lights come back on and we see the same people engaged in movement across but in slightly different positions. [[{we do not see this}]]

the lights go back out. {the lights stay on} the lights come back on. {same: in slightly different position} [[this goes on a few times.]]

we hear humans scream. {pauses. waits. perhaps someone screams. perhaps not.} {and then, lots of screaming} the screams continue. they are muffled. they come from all directions. they are. sudden. they suddenly die out. they are only imagining it. it is not happening. it will happen. in the near future. [[{lots of screaming}]]

at the last of the ponderings, we see the fallen colonialists and the news of who killed them in their frozen state. is this the beginning. | {main character invites an audience member as the killed and an audience member as the killer to stand still in position} los hombres de la primera rebeldía no conocen el miedo. [[commotion]]

commotion. the actor looks around and tries to decipher if they are going about it well. {commotion and the director begins to narrate the making of the play and the decisions} the director says: we have to make a decision on the actors. but. who gets to decide. who has the right to decide. who has the right angle. where do we even begin. [[what kind of language. what experience.]]

[[{there is a pause}]]

los hombres de la primera rebeldía tienen furia. los hombres de la primera rebeldía– | dónde: uno: comienza… para quién. y por qué. [[si comenzamos con uno de ellos…]]

an actor appears out of nowhere. {the teller/narrator runs and walks back as the actor} the camera focuses on their face y todo lo que le está pasando en su cabeza, su mundo. {there are no cameras. but the actor gets close to the audience} todo lo que está pasando. cómo piensan. quién puede decir. cómo. piensan. en cuál. idioma. cuáles son sus emociones. [[{the camera shows this}]]

in wolof since it was possible then… damaa mer (i’m angry) damaa tayyal (i’m tired) this must end this must end this must. [[end. they think.]]

this must end this must end this must. [[end.]]

this must end [[this must end]]

this must. [[end.|theywillkill]] |

they will kill yes they will they will steal yes they will they will rob yes they will they are after them too yes they are yes they are a battle with all the elements of oppression. [[yes, they will]]

this must end this must end this must. [[end.|tohellwithit]]

to hell with it this must end they too will kill and rob and maim and burn this must end this must end this must. [[end.|butallofasudden]]

but all of a sudden the screams again. from all parts. screams from all parts screams– | {the teller pauses and stands} cómo lo hicieron. [[cómo se organizaron.]]

{with each of the questions and the repetitions of ‘how’, the performer moves and approaches the audience and communicates their own vulnerability and uncertainty} where were they–frankly–and how did they manage to organize. how. how did they get together. how. how did they get together. how did they get together? and grab all they needed. how. [[that is: key: we must zoom in on this.]]

{a clandestine gathering} se juntan en la casa de uno. but: how. who knows… what we know: the only real things are the screams. the only sure things are the screams. [[what we know]]

[[they too will kill and rob and maim and burn]]

this must end this must end this must. [[end.|tohellwithitthismust]]

to hell with it all this must end what we know to hell with it what we know [[what we know…]]

and in the making of the play, we will make sure we know that the screams are real… the screams are real… maybe only the screams are real… {screams} [[{screams}]]

to hell with it all this must end [[what we know|whatweknowwe]]

the screams are real what we know [[the screams…]]

{screams} [[{screams}|lightsgos]]

the lights go off. {lights go off} silence. {silence} scream. [[{scream again}]]

lights on. {lights on} silence. [[{silence}]]

that is where we must begin: the mind. the mind of the rebels. the mind of the first rebels. they kill they rob they burn they steal they march [[they scream]]

to hell with it all this must end what we know the screams are real what we know [[the screams–]]

only the screams are real only the screams are real… only the screams are real… only the screams are real… only the screams are real… only the screams are real… only the screams! are real… [[only. the screams. are real…]]

{the lights come back on and multiple people say the following–while the audience is encouraged to shout ‘the fighters of the first revolt’ at each turn} the fighters of the first revolt: have no fear. the fighters of the first revolt: are hardened. the fighters of the first revolt: have nothing to lose. the fighters of the first revolt are like madmen who will. o yes they will… [[the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill.]]

estamos en el año 1521. 1521. let’s tell the story again. {the story is told again} [[the first revolt]]

lights back out. | {[[the lights do go back out. the chairs facing different directions. the audience members in different positions. the performer makes sure they stand there.]]}

the lights back on. | {the lights do come back on} if they’re the first, what are they thinking. do they think: how did we end up here and now we must set an example. or do they: not think–and just react. or do they think: they have enslaved us and we must escape. we must liberate ourselves. [[this must end.|fdfaeee]]|

the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill. | {lights back on} discovery? not a discovery. the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill. | {lights out} madre patria? [[i don’t think so.]]

only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real the screams in the dark… [[{long scream}]]

and… the revolt. the mortals in revolt. in a revolt: when a human, a free human, a free human will do anything to break from the chains is it a revolt. [[the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill. yes they do.]] |

[[{the lights are on and the following is said with a quiet despair}]]

this must end: this must. [[end.|fjdkfd]]

only the screams are real only the screams are real [[only the screams are real|fdfdfd]]

this must end only the screams are real only the screams are real [[this must. end–]] |

only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real this must. [[end.|popopo]]

only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real … only the screams are real only the screams are real only the screams are real [[…|fdfdfdfdfd]]

this must end this must end [[this must end.]] |

this is a failed play! this must end. {the narrator/teller is getting agitated} this is a failed play. this must end. {they are getting more and more agitated and moving around} [[the making of the play is a failed making of the play.]]

this is not the way. lights off! {lights do not go off} this is not the way! lights off! {lights do not go off} turn the lights off {the lights do not go off} turn the lights off {the lights do not go off} turn the lights off {the lights do not go off} [[this must end|44]]

2. cut this first burn the first burn the revolted men have been attacked. | they are… | in the eyes of rebels. are told stories of rage. | [[in the eyes of rebels are told. the.]]

look at their muscles on their necks. and faces. look how the. mu.scles on their fa.c.es tense up. the physiology of the attack… the muscles and their. leg.s a scul.ptor is what we n.eed. not! [[a pain.ter is what. we need. not–]] |

a sudden thrust into multiple directions grabbing. killing. holding o o– grabbing. killing. holding. scratching. o o– gra.bbing. ki.lling. holding o o. | [[scratching yelling ooooohhahahhahh…]]

3. (i) in the first counter the surprise attack along. the route what was. the route the route. | [[the route was.]]

the river the route was along the river to azua… the river the route. | along the river to… azua … [[azua…]]

<span class="fade-inA">using the machetes</span> <span class="fade-inB">using the…</span> <span class="fade-inC">using. the…</span> <span class="fade-inC">along the route…</span> <span class="fade-inC">and we don’t kn.ow when the ca.valry will arrive</span> <span class="fade-inC">but it comes even if not in the form of the cavalry</span> <span class="fade-inC">but in the person of melchior o melchior y su banda…</span> <span class="fade-inC">there was–</span> <span class="fade-inC">[[well–how many were there?]]</span>

how. many. were there. how many along the route… <div class="fade-inC"> how many along the route along the route there were stops and ransacking and hackings and at each [[there was]] | </div>

and then comes the counter with diego and melchior taking it upon himself supposedly to gather a bunch of o so brave o so brave who go after them melchior y su banda… <div class="fade-inC"> don’t stand a chance against the arms and the horses don’t st.and. a ch.ance don’t. [[stand a chance. never no. chance…]] </div>

how many no one knows how come no one knows twenty or so they say at first and then more along the way join… along their route how many were there no one knows how many how many were there no one knows the machetes the hackings no one [[how many hanging and walking around–]]

[[but there were twelve of melchior y su banda on their horseback so the legend goes…]] |

(ii) the corpses they killed too the rebels they robbed and stole and burned and killed they did and then they are caught and then they too bodies of the colonialists bodies of the christians then the bodies of the rebels then forever the bodies of the rebels and their corpses… [[…|fdaer]]

then forever the bodies of the rebels and their corpses… | … … hung along the road to make sure they all see and no one else dares … … hung along the road… [[…|qwotj]]

these bodies strewn along the landscape the corpses of the rebellion the– the corpses of the rebellion are strewn along the river [[corpses strewn along the riverbanks…]]

charred remains of– along the river tell the tale of millennial (destruction) five hundred five hundred– (five hundred years) [[…|fkdlaf]]

the corpses along the river and this the year that the five hundredth year of the revolt along the roads along the riverbanks along the banks of the memories of souls [[…|pojjj]]

they killed too the rebels they robbed and stole and burned yes this must end this must end i’ll tell you what’s happened since this is what’s happened… the bodies… all bodies and then corpses… forever the bodies of the rebels and [[their corpses…]]

along the riverbanks of the memories of ghosts memories of ghosts along the riverbanks along the riverbanks the hunted and killed… bodies in motion on city streets… corpses and blood the blood of ghosts the blood– the blood of ghosts… [[…|teratd]]

those bodies (in motion on sidewalks and through the–) those bodies we call … i’ll tell you what’s happened since this is what’s happened… along mountain passes on the concrete city streets and the back alleys of the same city streets at night, in the day [[the wounds are with us]]

the rebellions have never ceased cuts and burns and corpses… i will write one day a history of all rebellions (no, i won’t) no statue built in the public square only corpses strewn along the river… [[cuts and burns and corpses...|bbsd]]

the corpses of the rebels line the streets except that they are not streets and they are riverbanks five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks and streets... and cities… five hundred years of corpses [[five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks]]

five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks … an archipelago of unseen corpses … cuts and burns and corpses [[…|fdgbb]]

there are five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks… five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks… triumph? yes, triumph… [[after all…]]

4. five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks fi.ve hun.dred years of cor.pses a.long ri.ver.banks cuts and burns and | an.d … five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks [[…|qmmbk]]

who. does the howling wh.o–who does the cr.y.ing wh.o cries… screeching and. lau.ghing– | cuts and burns and corpses… | five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks who are the criers what the cries cuts and burns and corpses… | five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks… the howlers– cuts and burns and corpses– | five. hundred. y.ears… of cor.p.ses of rebels along riverbanks [[they have the right…]]

<div class="fade-inC"> cuts and burns and corpses | cuts and burns and corpses | cuts and burns and corpses | (after the wounds … (... (... the right to the cry the right to the howl as.k. the question [[wh.o has the right. to: the. cry!]] ) ) </div>

cuts and burns and cries | five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks cuts and burns and corpses | five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks no lloren no nadie llora nadie llora [[el grito]]

the cry who has the right to–it… cuts and burns and cries | five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks … along all riverbanks! cuts and burns and corpses| five hundred years. of corpses. along riverbanks… screams and laughter and. laughter laughter… [[…|qjngg]]

cuts and burns and cries | cuts and burns and cries | <div class="fade-inC"> five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks cuts and burns and wounds | five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks cuts and burns and cries | [[five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks|mvmdr]] </div>

the cry: the echo of the cry the cry: is the ec.ho of it … (the cry (the ech.o of (s.creams the cry (do they (do they) ) … ) … ) [[)|fdavvv]]

cuts burns corpses and screams the screams of horror the screams of fear more laugh.ter and scree.ching and screa.ming with cuts and burns and screams five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks [[…|mfmfmf]]

cuts and burns and cries who– <div class="fade-inC"> cuts and burns and screams | five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks [[…|ititit]] </div>

five hundred years of cuts burns and cries half a millennium of cuts burns and cries cuts and burns and corpses | [[five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks…]] |

500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks … 500 years: of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years: of corpses: along riverbanks– | 500 years… of corpses: along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses… along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks! | 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… 500 …years of corpses– along riverbanks. | 500 years… of corpses… along riverbanks…| 500 years of corpses… along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses… along riverbanks… 500 years: of corpses along riverbanks! 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks … 500 years: of corpses… along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses… along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses … along riverbanks 500 years | of corpses along riverbanks… | 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years … of corpses along riverbanks 500 years… of corpses along riverbanks… | 500 years! of corpses … along riverbanks 500 years– of corpses… along riverbanks… 500 years … of corpses: along riverbanks 500 years of corpses! … along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks … 500 years: of corpses: along riverbanks 500 years … of corpses … along riverbanks 500 years– of corpses: along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years … of corpses … along riverbanks … 500 years of corpses along riverbanks… 500 years of corpses … along riverbanks… [[________________|46]]

(ii) their heads. the cheeks the. neck. is the neck str. aight is the. [[what is the–]]

(iii) the position of. the body. the position of the body on. the do they ride do they walk what is the [[is. there a.]] |

(iv) ask the questions ask the questions ask. the question ask. the question. ask the question ask. [[the. question ask.]]

( what question. which. question as.k. whose howl is that in the deep dark sky <<timed 3s>>>whose frozen howl do i see in the deep dark sky<</timed>> <<timed 5s>> as.k. which question wh.y. ask who <</timed>> <<timed 7s>> ask the question ask the question <</timed>> <<timed 7s>>ask the question as.k the question<</timed>> <<timed 9s>>ask. the. question ask. the question<</timed>> <<timed 10s>>[[as.k the question ask the question.]] | <</timed>>

which question which whi.ch question which. <<timed 3s>>> whose frozen howl is that in the sky <</timed>> <<timed 5s>> whose frozen howl is that in the deep. dark. sky <</timed>> <<timed 7s>> whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark [[sky]] ) <</timed>>

(v) dead leaves on the ground men on the ground. there are dead men on the ground. dead men on the ground. <<timed 3s>>> [[whose frozen howl is that…]] <</timed>>

2. (i) see the young see the young. man. who. (ii) defenseless [[he falls–]]

(iii) out by the edge the howls the young the sudden rustling the. the sky. the others somehow the. | who are they who are– [[who.]] |

(iv) there is a silence that accompanies the first i have known this silence [[it is a silence of the.]] |

(v) scene 1 his eyes his eyes his eyes his eyes his eyes scene 2 his neck his neck [[his neck|hghghg]]

scene 3 his hands his hands his hands his hands his hands [[his hands]]

scene 4 his back his back his back scene 5 [[his feet]]

3. ask the question ask the question ask ask. the question <<timed 3s>>> whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky <</timed>> <<timed 5s>> whose fro.zen. howl is that in the deep dark sky <</timed>> <<timed 7s>> whose frozen howl– is that in the deep dark [[sky|hjjhjjh]] <</timed>>

the maroons… the maroons’ howl the maroons’ howl maybe– | their fate one at a time what befell them what what what ghost and frozen howls [[frozen howls]]

when you walk along the river if you have craved to know the lust for revolt then you too see the frozen howl whose frozen howl [[whose frozen howl is that in the sky]]

ask the question ask the question ask: whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky… <<timed 3s>>> whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark [[sky…]] <</timed>>

after five hundred years of cuts and bruises cuts and bruises cuts and bruises and corpses five hundred years of corpses along the riverbanks [[ask. the question:]]

whose frozen howl is that [[in the deep dark sky]]

whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky <<timed 3s>>> whose frozen howl is that [[in the deep dark sky|iiiii]] <</timed>>

whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky <<timed 3s>>> whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky <</timed>> <<timed 6s>> whose frozen howl is that [[in the deep dark sky|nnnnn]] <</timed>>

whose frozen howl is that in the deep dark sky … | [[________________|54]]

> all there are ever all there are scenes of the spectacle scenes of the– and i, and you, and we, all players in a millennial drama of–. and these rebels–on this island of scars what will they do to us if what will they do to others if | then how do we [[at the end, we, the free men of, will know to]] |

soon dead men on the ground the seizing all players in a millennial drama on the isle of scars… calling upon all gods to cease this madness who are the gods that– | who is the god that– | an island of scars [[for all the blank pages of history…]]

> the voices shout: we are all players in a millennial drama! on this and all coming isles of scars it must be enough to awaken–and rebel awaken and rebel awaken and rebel … [[awaken and rebel…]]

on all these islands of endless, enduring, scars, awaken and rebel –and whisper: on this island of eternal scars the whispers and the shouts: we are all players in a millennial drama… all… players… [[we are all players in a millennial drama…]]

> we are all players in a millennial drama… we are all players in a millennial drama … we are all players in a millennial drama [[…|trtrtr]]

on this island of scars what will they do to us if– what will they do to others if | but we must we must… on this isle of endless scars: rebel we must– free men and [[whisper…]]

> i, alone a bare stage a voice: in these lands on this land under this sky a spaniard was killed with my bare hands before i also [[fell.]]

repeat: > i, alone a bare stage a voice: in these lands on this land under this sky a spaniard was killed with my bare hands before i also [[fell…]]

repeat: > i, alone a bare stage a voice: in these lands on this land under this sky a spaniard was killed with my bare hands before i also [[fell–.]]

once is all that matters but forever remember and repeat in a whisper repeat: > i, alone a bare stage a voice: in these lands on this land under this sky a spaniard was killed with my bare hands before i also fell. | [[________________|56]]

we will do what, an anthology? an invocation? a lamentation? a grand cry? of the author un-writing the páginas en blanco of history. this is how you have to do it. undo the páginas en blanco. the blank pages. i–or an imaginary author matters not. portrait of the uprising. this is how you tell it. the only way to tell it the only important way to tell it. the invocation for the eradication [[of the blank pages of history…]]

nothing in the books you read nothing of. course nothing in the books you. read but. always nothing. nothing i. turned the pages. of many books i… can show. them. say it always nothing as it would be said nothing. always in the books others read. either there’s nothing. or… {see all the books… see all the books we have brought…all the books all around… all the books with their blank pages} in any book nothing in. the annals. [[jus.t a little. reference. a cursory. reference.]] |

nothing just a li.ttle some.thing by the governor and the historian and nothing. in the other. books or… in the annals or in the officialdom. or on… the plaques. on. the street or– something along the road at least… [[put something along the road…]] |

always nothing. left– nothing is. there is a. history of. absence– how to. tell. ab.sence telling the. rebellion is telling the. story… of. absence the story of the blank. pages. of history… | [[all the blank pages. of history…]] |

abrí algunos libros. none of the books had much of a passage about. it. | algunas palabras por aquí. a few sentences, por allá. say it louder. say it louder. say it louder! “fueron cruelmente aplastados, pero su ejemplo fue seguido por otros esclavos que empezaron a desertar de los ingenios y a refugiarse en las montañas” Orlando Inoa, Historia Dominicana, pp. 128-129 (Santo Domingo, Editio Princeps, 2013) say it louder! [[say it louder!]]

“fueron cruelmente aplastados” repetir y poner más grande las oraciones reveladoras. that’s how you fill the blank pages… bigger and bigger the words [[repeat and put it larger and larger and fill out the blank pages of history]]

“fueron cruelmente aplastados” “fueron cruelmente aplastados” “fueron cruelmente aplastados” (Inoa, HD, p. 129) [[bigger and bigger the syllables. the letters.]]

cru.el.men.te a.plas.ta.dos. | cru el men te a plas ta [[dos]]

cru el men te a plas ta [[dos|rrrrr]]

cru el men te a plas ta dos [[but:]]

tell us: how! how! how! and who. did it? who. did it?! how. di.d they do it? [[how and who?]]

who did it? tell us how! [[tell!!]]

and the others too all the others the books … always nothing in the books… the blank pages or the few words– a few words worse than the blank pages even maybe… [[and make the bloodthirsty criminals the heroes…|hghfh]]

nothing in the books nothing in the books nothing always in the books nothing. | tell us about the blank pages of history the blank pages of history… la única manera the only way to fill las páginas en blanco: read out loud the passages that would need more bigger type bigger letters ¡muchísimo más grande! ¡llenamos más páginas! … con las palabras. para que vean. para que todo el mundo vea que faltan… que faltan que faltan… más palabras más palabras y oraciones in these páginas [[en blanco!|hgnnnn]]

un grupo de hombres a group of rebels. how. h.ow do they ga.ther. where. [[who said what.]]

ponder this. pon.der. how. imagine it. | [[imagine. it.]]

muchas páginas … páginas en blanco de la historia sin cuentos sin monumentos no emancipation other than the blank pages being filled. no more páginas en blanco. we’ll fill the blank pages of history… we’ll fill the blank pages of history… [[we’ll fill the blank pages of history]]– |

otherwise… otherwise, folks: the revolution will not be real-ized. [[the revolution will not be annal-ized]]

i repeat: nothing in the history books you read nothing of course nothing in the books you read but– nothing in the books otherwise there’s nothing in any book nothing in the annals just a little reference a cursory reference by the gobernador of– the rebellion will not be annal-ized. nothing for the young folks of this island to know. fill the blank pages of history otherwise… [[the rebellion will not be concretized will not be archived. will not be realized.]]

convenient to make it not exist… we don’t know about this, the rebels did not rise and since they did not rise and they did not march and they did not win and the mayordomo was not killed there is nothing to narrate or tell. nothing to tell. nosotros no sabemos no aprendemos– | no lo aprendimos– | no nos lo contaron– | gotta do this, otherwise: the rebellion will not be televised no–the rebellion will not be televised [[it will not be televised now.]]

the rebellion will not be digitized it will not be digitized nothing will no–! the rebellion will not be cinematized or monetized the revolt will not be there will be–no! there will be–no! rebellion if it’s not bookified storified annalized or otherwise: [[the rebellion will not exist–!]]

the revolt will not be existified will not be. existified will not b.e exist.i fied. but now we… we… we! we launch the eradication of páginas en blanco. strikethrough of <del> [[blank pages.]] </del>

take a fragment en 1521, una banda se rebela what will the cry reveal what will that great cry reveal… the catastrophe will not be erased … [[los gritos…]]

how they cried and how they screamed. with me now: with me now with me now what will the great cry reveal… | ahhhhhh [[ahhhhhhh]]

vamos a llenar las páginas con gritos! all the books will be thousands of pages. thousands of pages… of gritos!! [[voces!]]

thousands of pages of gritos!! | thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of voces and gritos, thousands of pages of gritos and voces!! | we can afford it. [[we can afford it.]]

screams and sighs…. mixed in with some crazy laughter… with me now folks let the scream out. let the breath out and let the scream out…… aaaaahhhhhhhhh aaaaaaahhhhhhhh aaaahhhhhh [[aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh]]

screams of a certain tired kind… a few words per page | only to make you ponder each word. each name | to read the blank pages read: the blank pages you should see the blank pages and read the blank pages and see the erasure and the redaction <del> [[in the blank pages]]</del>– |

… “veinte negros jelofes de su hacienda mataron al mayordomo…” “mataron al mayordomo y se pusieron en camino a Nizao con ánimo de sublevar a los negros que trabajaban en los trapiches de esa región” (Inoa, Historia Dominicana, p. 129) [[these are among the only words in the historians’ books. sin lamentos y sin monumentos.]]

these are among the only words in the historians’ books, believe it or not… read them and– read… Oviedo Las Casas, Las Crónicas Escogidas, (Santo Domingo: Ediciones de la Fundación Corripio, Inc., 1988)… the fourth chapter, “En que se tracta la rebelión de los negros e del castigo que el almirante don Diego Colom hizo en ellos, etc.”… p. 122 onwards… to 126. four pages… not much really, in the over-600-page volume… we get a little bit about the battle, the path, a bit on melchior… [[read on… read these little bits… then…]]

then: read read [[the blank pages]]

[[read…]]

[[r]]

r [[e]]

r e [[a]]

r e a [[d]]

the blank [[page|fdafsd]]

read: [[this]]

and all the other blank [[pages]]

thousands and thousands of pages read read [[read thousands of pages…]]

thousands of pages and thousands of pages of blank pages read read read thousands of pages… thousands of pages and thousands of pages [[of blank pages]]

read read read thousands of pages… [[read la…]]

[[página en blanco]]

[[página en blanco|fdfdfdfd]]

[[página en blanco|fdfdasdsa]]

[[página en blanco|faertybdf]]

and then we leave… [[las páginas]]

[[en blanco]]

y dejamos páginas [[en blanco|nynyny]]

and we let the sentences fill them out, fill them out fill the blank pages out: no more: páginas en blanco … no more [[…|tntntn]]

we’ll make it [[right.]]

how many times have i written it how many times more. how many times have i how many times more– | [[the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us the eradication of]] |

the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us! the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us! the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us! the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us [[we shall eradicate them forevermore!]]

the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us– we shall eradicate them forevermore! | the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us! [[we shall eradicate them forevermore!|ththth]] |

i have seen the blank pages. and we’ll have thousands and thousands of blank pages… i will fill the blank pages i will read the blank page i will read all the blank [[pages–|rtrtrt]] |

the revolution will be realified the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us– | the revolution will be realified the eradication of páginas en blanco is upon us the revolution will be pagified! [[the revolution will be realified!]]

the revolt will– | the revolt of 1521 will exist in the pages of: history! | [[________________|58]]

he pursued the rebels and he with associates killed the rebels– or captured them… or … melchiorrrrrrrr [[ohhhhhhhhhhhh]] …

“They stopped along the way to gather provisions from the ample storehouses on a cattle ranch owned by Melchior de Castro, who controlled the island’s mining operations. According to later Spanish reports, the rebels killed several Spaniards on their way to de Castro’s; killed another during the raid; took more than a dozen captives, including at least 1 African and 12 Indian slaves; and burned whatever they did not steal. Cristóbal Lebrón, who was visiting his own ingenio near Azua, sent to Santo Domingo for help. [[In Santo Domingo, Colón gathered a small troop of horsemen and foot soldiers and rushed to crush the rebellion. Colón ordered his troops, led by de Castro and Francisco Dávila, to follow and apprehend the rebel slaves while he spent the night along the Nizao river awaiting more help. Twelve horsemen found the rebels about daybreak. They slashed their way through the rebels not once but twice, using Toledo swords against stones, sticks, and dados (“lightweight lances”), killing six of the Africans and wounding many others before the rebels broke and ran. De Castro, too, was wounded. Spanish troops retreated to a nearby ingenio belonging to Alonso de Zuazo, where they were joined by Colón and more Spanish horsemen. Colón sent the troops after the rebels again, this time under the command of Capt. Pedro Ortiz de Matienzo.”]] “Hispaniola Slave Revolt–1521”, by Lynne Guitar, in, <u>The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Volume I</u>, Junios P. Rodriguez, Ed. (p. 344-345, accessed online at www.abc-clio.com) (all subsequent quotations from this passage are from this same source.)

melchior he’s hailed he’s their hero their grand hero melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrrrrr he’s no sweetheart though this melchior not a savior this melchior not a saint o no not a saint [[melchior…]]

[[“They stopped along the way to gather provisions from the ample storehouses on a cattle ranch owned by Melchior de Castro, who controlled the island’s mining operations. According to later Spanish reports, the rebels killed several Spaniards on their way to de Castro’s; killed another during the raid; took more than a dozen captives, including at least 1 African and 12 Indian slaves; and burned whatever they did not steal.”]] “Hispaniola Slave Revolt–1521”, by Lynne Guitar, in, <u>The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Volume I</u>, Junios P. Rodriguez, Ed. (p. 344-345)

he’s hailed as a heroic figure he’s their hero their grand hero melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrrrrr and he’s stupefyingly satisfyingly seamlessly serendipitously senselessly maybe saving the patria [[sure…]]

whose patria……… whose patria o melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrr whose patria o melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrr o o melchioooohhhhhrrrrr whose patria o melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrr o o not this patria not the original patria not this patria whose patria o melchiooohhhhhhhrrrrr… whose patria whose patria whose patria [[whose patria o melchiohhhhhrrrrr…]]

melchior y su banda for sure don’t occupy the blank pages melchior y su banda are heroes all over the official pages no blank pages for melchior no blank pages for su banda they pursued the rebels and they killed the rebels– [[or captured them…]]

melchior y su banda construyeron la patria o melchior an anthem or a hagiography para todos ustedes y sus asesinos… who will write that who will write that… melchior o melchior y su banda… y su banda… a little relato sobre melchior y su banda [[según los libros…]]

the fires and the flames the killings the tortures and the punishments the new laws and melchiooohhhhrrrrr himself wounded wounded, him too…… no páginas en blanco though no páginas en blanco for melchioooohhhhrrrrr… just flames and capturing and captives and swords and wounds swords and horses and wounds in the páginas with melchiooohhhhrrrrr [[swords and horses and wounds in the páginas with melchiooohhhhrrrrr]]

say again and write again that’s what he was doing saving his so-called land for diego and the crown swords and horses and wounds in the páginas with melchiooohhhhrrrrr saving the land saving the home saving the patria saving the home and what was he doing there in the first place and what was going on in the first place melchior y su banda cómo los seguieron cómo los mataron on horseback and– o yeah [[o yeah]]

horseback and swords and melchior horseback and swords and melchior killing horseback and swords and melchior capturing melchior y su banda hacen historia y no se preocupan por las páginas en blanco a hagiography the spanish empire should write for melchior y su banda… and then [[and then]]

the bodies strewn along the river but not before the pursuits not before the hangings not before the killing [[of the rebels]]

horses and swords and melchior for the patria his patria horses and swords and melchior for the patria his patria how it goes horses and swords and melchior for melchior y su banda hacen historia [[using toledo swords against homemade–]]

“They slashed their way through the rebels not once but twice, using Toledo swords against stones, sticks, and dados (“lightweight lances”), killing six of the Africans and wounding many others before the rebels broke and ran. De Castro, too, was wounded.” “Hispaniola Slave Revolt–1521”, by Lynne Guitar, in, <u>The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Volume I</u>, Junios P. Rodriguez, Ed. (p. 344-345) [[swords and horseback against–]]

[[“They slashed their way through the rebels not once but twice, using Toledo swords against stones, sticks, and dados (“lightweight lances” ), killing six of the Africans and wounding many others before the rebels broke and ran. De Castro, too, was wounded.”]] “Hispaniola Slave Revolt–1521”, by Lynne Guitar, in, <u>The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Volume I</u>, Junios P. Rodriguez, Ed. (p. 344-345)

horses and swords and melchior for this patria horses and swords and melchior for the patria his patria killing six of the africans they write and wounding many others killing and wounding many others and his bud too wounded melchior wounded and others wounded and horses and swords and melchior killing and wounding and killing and wounding and killing and wounding and killing and wounding because how dare they [[because how–]] |

the <del>slaves</del> running away and rebelling and burning i, melchior with other valiant buds and the banda go after the rebels (without even telling diego at first) kill them wound them enslave them again enslave them again what heroes we are– | grab them again and then the new laws the new laws soon the new laws… what heroes we are– | (pero melchior [[cuidado ey!]]

i don’t see a statue in your name oviedo and colón, boy, those folks have it all but you–melchior, not even an asterisk… without much status melchior without sculptures melchior without that hagiography i was dreaming up for you without even a chapter, melchior, in the books–just a mention [[in a paragraph or two, in one tiny little section of the books]] )

melchior o melchior horses killings wounds captures melchior o melchior horses killings wounds captures melchior o melchior killings wounds swords horses killings wounds swords horses killings wounds swords killings swords wounds swords swords wounds melchior swords wounds melchior swords wounds melchior swords killings hangings wounds melchior hangings wounds melchior… swords wounds melchior … swords … wounds … whisper whisper whisper after the cries… swords … wounds swords … wounds … swords … [[wounds]] … |

melchior… melchior de castro… y su banda the first on the scene with the rebels… saving and putting into motion the new laws… melchior y su banda… melchior o melchior… | [[________________|60]]

{i adjust the audience-member-playing-the-dead-rebel’s body. the positions of their limbs. ask if it’s okay to touch. ask if it’s okay to dishevel.} there is a d.ead reb.el in th.e field. their clothes are t.orn and their l.imb.s are c.ut. [[around them the still.ness of s.av.age aftermaths.]]

al lado del m.uerto en el quinto. cen.tenario with m.emories of m.utilations. of bo.dies. of dreams. of freed.oms. of– | other rebels disp.er.sed and the news is s.preading (how does the news spread) that the r.evolt is un.der way that the revolt is: going to–. al lado del muer.to en el quin.to cen.tenar.io i w.onder [[how do: they know, the others, to f.lee]] …

after the f.alls after the r.uns after the cut.s and bru.ises and c.orp.ses five hundred years of corps.es along riverb.anks after the b.lank pa.ges al lado del muer.to en el quinto cen.te.nar.io i will [[m.ake the por.trait of the dead r.ebel.]]

al lado del m.uerto en el quin.to cen.tenar.io i hear the s.trange voi.ces. that are in th.e air. elegy to. the f.allen heroes. elegy to. the mar.tyrs. of the firs.t revolt. elegy to the w.arriors. elegy to the po.ets who. s.ang our. songs–. elegy to the a.n.gels an.d the gho.s.t.s. aquí estoy, sentado en el terreno con un muer.to a m.i lado [[mi.rando en la dis.tancia…]]

aquí estoy, caminando al l.ado del rí.o donde se re.belaron hace qui.nien.tos años los prim.eros… aquí es.toy al lado del muerto en el qu.into cente.nario en la ciudad, con unos c.om.pañeros c.on un muerto a nues.tro lado can.tando re.citando una elegía… a o.tro muerto… y aquí voy a dejar de ser… poeta pero sin ol.vidar los g.ritos en el ci.elo al l.ado del muer.to [[en el quin.to. cente.nario]]

i won’t forget–and alway listen the h.owls in the ski.es the sh.adows on the wr.ong walls… the sha.dows of the wr.ong w.ords… a.quí e.stoy al l.ado del muerto en el. quinto centenario y me.morias de gritos e.ternos… yes–here we are with a dead reb.el and the how.ls and the b.ook of sighs al lado del muerto [[en el qu.into centenario]]

forever in sear.ch of the lust: for rev.olt and the cries ech.o.ing all ar.ound by the riv.er where the ghosts s.till ho.v.er by the corpse of a d.ead rebel al lado del m.uerto en el quinto centenario– | and the ques.tions per.sist: whose fro.z.en howl h.ang.s still [[in the d.eep d.ark skies…]]

o rebel f.allen hace quinientos años aquí estoy where the screams. still. echo by the s.ide of a dead. rebel by another r.iverbank with the howls an.d the c.ries digging dig.ging still [[into: the bones of ghosts…|85]]

let’s, real quick, revise here–and thanks first and again to the Dominican Studies Institute (DSI), Anthony Stevens-Acevedo and folks involved in researching and putting together the fantastic monograph “The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt of 1521 and the Slave Laws of 1522: Black Slavery and Black Resistance in the Early Colonial Americas” (New York: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, 2019). story of the first revolt, a group of people is taken against their will, forced to work, forced to labor in awful unthinkable conditions. they are beaten and enslaved. they have no real freedom of movement. still, somehow, they band together. they organize. they band together. they put together the strategy. they probably know they will ultimately fail, but do they, maybe they don’t. they make their arms from various regular objects. they assemble. they raid. and continue. and raid again. and continue. then: they bring more folks into their ranks as they go. this place called, whatever it’s called at the time. they move on. move along. soon: the news. the oppressor knows they must stop it. they strategize. they react. and. put down the revolt. the revolt will not be. it is over. squashed. worse: new laws. to make sure. some find refuge in the mountains. [[the maroons.]]

not much written about it. and yet, there are so many more revolts coming our way. and perhaps the thing to do. the thing to do. the only thing to do. is scholarly comparative studies of renditions and representations of <del>slave</del> revolts. and: benito, and the others… [[i want to tell you about benito cereno in particular. melville’s novella, benito cereno.]]

i want to tell you about melville’s benito cereno because… as i was writing, i happened to also be reading benito cereno. by chance. by chance! simultaneously. by chance. accidentally. quite casually and so it took me a while. it took me a while and then i found towards the end, the surprise… that it was… all… about… and then it hit me: it had to be: my version. in progress– had to be what it was about to be. which was: this this [[this.]]

so yeah… read… go read it folks– not to champion it for it’s quite problematic–although also quite brilliant structurally and poetically. go read it–and see: how the revolt is treated… see how the revolt is treated and… and then on to a bibliography… read benito cereno… and then on to a bibliography… and a little gathering and discussion… that’s what we will do: read all these and then, gather and discuss… and think of the first revolt, and the first rebels… [[________________|88]]

the fate of the foot of x. the fate of the foot of x… listen listen listen… [[listen…]]

all you gotta do: just tell this just read this– the decree: [[the decree after the fact…]]

All quoted texts below are from: “The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt of 1521 and the Slave Laws of 1522: Black Slavery and Black Resistance in the Early Colonial Americas”, Anthony Stevens-Acevedo (New York: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, 2019); (Accessed online)(referred to as DSI below) just days after the uprising, the 1522 laws… a government document… issued precisely to address the rebellion… this earliest anti-slavery rebellion would not go unpunished, unmarked… over the body… the bodies… of all… this earliest of anti-slavery rebellions would receive… [[the harshest of punishments… limiting mobility… paralyzing mobility… destroying humanity… torture and execution… and… the cuting off of the foot…]]

[[“The 1522 laws were not the first to be established by the Spanish colonial authorities of Santo Domingo–the capital and largest urban center of la Española–in order to control the colony’s enslaved and overwhelmingly black African population, but they are the earliest ones to have survived.” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…” DSI, p. 10.)]]

(ii) “[I] r Firstly we order and mandate that all the Blacks and Whites and Canarians that are slaves who currently wander rebel in this island, be forced to come back and return to the service of their masters within twenty days from the day these ordinances are announced, and their masters be obliged to go seeking or send to seek for them and to subject them to their service, under penalty that if within the said lapse they are subdued [fo. 2v.] and gathered away from the said fleeing they are wandering in, that for the same effect the said slave falls into and incurs in the penalty of having a foot cut off, and that if [the slave] is absent another twenty days, the said slave incurs in penalty of death, which should be given to him by hanging, and that if in the said lapse and time that [the slave] wanders absent [the slave] commits some crimes and killings, robberies, steals and break-ins, in such case, in spite of not having been absent so long a lapse nor incurred in said penalties, [the slave] be hanged for it, if the steal is done with force or killing or robbery, and that if the steal were small, one foot be cut off for the first one, and for the second one [the slave] be put to death for it.” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, p. 24) the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of… me! [[enslavement. punishment. oh yeah…]] |

(iii) “[III] Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters, be obliged to return to the service of the said masters within ten days after the escape and uprising they may have done, under penalty that if after the said ten days they were brought over and taken against their will, [fo. 3r.] one foot be cut off from them as per the first time, and that for the second time that [the slave] were and stayed absent more than ten days [the slave] should die for it by hanging or by other type of crueler death, had [the slave] done a crime and were it clear that [the slave] deserves it” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) read. listen. read. listen. [[and the paleographic transcription of parts…]]

“[III] r Otrosi hordenamos e mandamos q[ue] todos los escla/ vos negros blancos e canarios q[ue] de aq[ui] adelante se/ absentaren del [ser]vi[çi]0 de sus señores sea[n] obliga/ dos a se volver al [ser]vi[çi]0 de los d[ic]hos señores dentr0/ de diez días d[e]spues de la fuga e alçami[ent]0 q[ue] oviere[n]/ f[ec]ho so pena q[ue] sy d[e]spues de los d[ic]hos diez días fueren/ traídos e tomados contra su voluntad le sea/ cortado un pie por la p[rimer]a vez e q[ue] por la segunda vez/ q[ue] fuere y estoviere mas de diez días absent[e] q[ue] muera[n] por ello ahorcados u otro genero de muerte mas cruel sy/ oviere f[ec]ho delito e seha [sic] claro q[ue] lo meresçe pero q[ue] sy/ es pontaneament[e] se volvieren ant[e]s de incurrir [en]/ las d[ic]has penas q[ue] no se les de pena alguna salvo/ sy ovieren en el t[ien]po de las fugas hecho delito por” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 37, 39) the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of: you. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you!]]

2. (i) “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian[…]” “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian[...]” “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one foot cut off. [[que le sea cortado un pie]] |

(ii) “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters, be obliged to return to the service of the said masters within ten days after the escape and uprising they may have done, under penalty that if after the said ten days they were brought over and taken against their will, [fo.3r.] one foot be cut off from them as per the first time” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all.]]

que le sea cortado un pie | the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you. que le sea cortado un pie : que le sea cortado un pie…]]

“Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all.|ererer]]

“Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. que le sea cortado un pie que le sea cortado un pie, [[que le sea cortado un pie…]]

(iii) the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all. “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you.]]

“Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) que le sea cortado un pie… they get: one. foot. cut. off. the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you.|popopopo]]

the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. que le sea cortado un pie | the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all. all all all!! fate of all! [[fate of all]]

3. “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. que le sea cortado un pie… the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of me. [[the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you.|ieieieie]]

4. “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. que le sea cortado un pie | que le sea cortado un pie | que le sea cortado un pie | que le sea cortado un pie | … but… [[but but: but…]]

5. (i) but we have a new decree. that all the descendants and all the descendents of descendents get fitted with bionic foots and have seven foots each, seven foots so they can run along the riverbanks glide along the riverbanks [[run glide along the riverbanks dash along the riverbanks and]]

and when they see coming the new tanks and the new dogs and the new guns when they see it they’ll [[run and run and laugh]]

along the riverbanks at speeds faster and faster along riverbanks or city streets run and run along riverbanks and laugh and glide when they see the new tanks and the new dogs and the new guns along riverbanks or city streets with their seven foots run and run along riverbanks and laugh and glide to flee or just run tirelessly along run and run endlessly endlessly run down the hill and along the bank and up the hill and along the bank away from the new tanks and the new dogs and the new guns and laugh and glide to flee or just [[run tirelessly along]]

(ii) run and run endlessly with their seven bionic foots on each limb run and run and run and run to save their lives and save their souls run and run endlessly with their seven bionic foots on each limb run and run and run and run and get away [[from it all!]] |

(iii) “Furthermore, we order and mandate that all slaves, Black, White and Canarian, that from hereafter be absent from the service of their masters,” (“The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt…”, DSI, pp. 24-25) they get: one. foot. cut. off. [[que le sea cortado un pie|ririri]] |

the fate of the foot of x: the fate of the foot of x: the fate of the foot. of. x: is the fate of the foot of you. is the fate of the foot of me. the fate of the foot of x: is the fate of the foot of all. | is the fate of the foot of all. | [[________________|90]]

> <strong>i</strong> i stood afar and for a minute, paused the house that burns the house that burns is our house the house that burns is the house of all of us the house that burns [[is the house of all]]

centuries past and centuries forth this house and the flames that go that quietly patiently with the crepitations that so poetically rise into the sky this house this small house that burns a house of fates a house of ferment this house that burns is the house of past centuries the house of coming centuries the house of corpses and the house of lies the house of pity and the house of stranger prayers this house and the animals that now run about madly this house and its lives and its lies this house that burns is the house of all and i stand before it i will always stand before it i will stand before it and i will stand before it always and i will stand before it quietly and watch it burn and i will stand before it and try [[try to save it]]

i will stand before the burning house and peer into its soul peer into its heart peer into its soil i stand before the house that burns [[the house that is the house of all]]

> <strong>a fellow rebel</strong> (a cry into the void in the fields soon after the fall) what it means to be from one place or another a time a world a history they were indians, they say they were africans they say [[they were muslims, they say]]

they call us all sorts of things to justify the actions now there on the field burns the house and all the folks taken into bondage the oppressors burn the house the oppressed burn the house [[the house i see]]

allows us allows you to rethink our destiny a fellow maker of destiny a fellow traveler on the path that is what we were what we are not a <del>slave</del> [[not even a rebel]]

a man a dead man never dead never dead and now [[free]]

almost dead or almost mutilated who sees the house burning, in the distance a house one day of oppressors a house another day of liberators a house a next day of the dead a house that burns a house that burns [[in the middle of these nameless fields…]]

> <strong>the law</strong> the house belongs to– this house belonged to– the ones who burned the house will be– the ones who burned the house and all that was in it will be– the law sees a house burning the law knows who burned the house the law knows who will pay we know who will pay we know who will pay with their lives and the lives of their brethren and the lives of their children and the lives of their offspring [[forever more]]

this house that burns the law will not forget this house that burns [[the law will not forget…]]

> <strong>the future luchador</strong> (five hundred years later in an industrial studio close to another river) give their names what are their names this is the echo eternal echo of this tale this is the echo… whose names do you give when you don’t know their names when they have been stripped of their names when their names are ways of rooting their enslavement when they have been slaughtered their names whose names do we say when the names are so–! [[names of those who…]]

a burning house on a nondescript field whose names do we scream when we speak of the burning trees the burning homes the grass and the animals the grass helpless standing on these fields helpless weeping pleading to be saved… a house burns and still no one knows the names of the ones [[who burned that house]]

the house that burns turns to ashes the house that burns throws flames into the sky the house that burns is the great house that burns the house of illusions the house of lies the house of truths the house of lives the house of tales a house burns that is the house that–. and we still don’t know their names tell their names tell their names tell their names their own names the names at birth the names in the bosom the names in the– [[the names]]

what could have been in this house a historic house we would make a house of names a house for names weeping now for a house that sits there no more flames and ashes an image of a house a house that burns and with it all the dreams of [[what could have been their lives|rururur]]

i see the house burn from the mountaintop and the steeples in decades past and in decades to come from time immemorial to the time of now and then open my wings and fly above and see the house burn from above and then shoot down into the flames and see the house and feel the house and smell the house and touch the house burn from the inside and shoot back out and fly far away on a hill and my wings in tatters and burnt watch the house [[burn from afar]]

and then i walk along and closer and closer and circle the house and watch it burn from all angles and from all angles it is the same house that burns the house of illusions and the house of lies the house of truths and the house of– | echo: names echo: names say. their. names. of those who lived or walked or marched [[in the house]]

or even those who burned the house down hear. their. names. [[hear. their. names.]] |

in the ashes of a house burnt down [[forevermore…]]

> <strong>the whisper unheard</strong> the properties of the house do not allow us to save [[the house]]

> <strong>a mother</strong> i wish i could find a voice i would hear the cry and the scream rising from within the flames dormant in the ashes of one who had seen the house burn of one who had lived in the house burning i wish i had seen the letters the letters all would have wanted to write the letters they wished they had written the cries of the sons the screams of the children the babble of the lawyers [[the cries of the enslaved]]

i have seen this house burn many times the same house in this same field (this very same house, on this very same field) and each time i wish i could have heard the screams because i have heard the screams i wish i could hear their screams and share the screams each time for all the mothers and their houses that burn all the same cries all the same screams and then the whispers and then we will comfort them all we will and then we will comfort us all and the house perhaps the house of all this house i have seen burn so oft this house on this same field i have seen burn so oft will not burn [[anymore–|fmmmm]] |

> <strong>and the unknown cry from afar</strong> burning house en la plaza no saben la historia de esta casa en el conde no saben la historia de esta casa en las historias perdidas la quiero contar pero nadie ha escrito, sobre esta casa nowhere is this house’s tale told because, you might say, it does not exist but it does–let me tell you the house of all this house of all always has existed this burning house not told in the blank pages [[has been there, forever, burning–]]

and still it burns still it burns and its embers floating above diego’s house in the plaza… under [[the deep dark sky]]

> <strong>and in the distance a strange echo</strong> embers embers embers circling into the sky see: the embers hear the embers hear the flames of history forget: history forget: history forget: the escape forget: the– forget: the first revolt watch just watch: just watch the embers just watch the embers the embers just watch the house burn and the embers into the sky the embers floating into the sky the embers floating across the fields that is the reality of the house that burns the house that burns all our houses that burn all our houses that burn and their embers [[into the skies]]

[[embers]]

embers [[embers|embers2]]

embers embers [[embers|embers3]]

circling into the sky see: the embers hear the embers hear the flames of: [[history]]

embers embers embers circling into the sky see: the embers hear the embers hear the flames of [[history|history2]]

[[embers|rbbb]]

embers [[embers|pzpzpz]]

embers embers [[embers|gpgpgp]]

embers embers embers [[circling into the sky]] …

embers embers embers [[circling into the sky|ugugu]] …

embers circling into the sky … [[________________|92]]

— los árboles también están llorando los árboles lloran pero nadie los ve los árboles lloran pero nadie los escucha los árboles también lloran– they have seen and they have sensed and they know what’s coming. they know what’s coming they’ve known what’s coming for decades and decades [[and centuries they’ve known what’s coming!|thhh]]

— … los árboles también están llorando… — … los árboles también están llorando… — los árboles también están llorando porque saben lo que viene– | — los árboles también lloran– — los árboles también lloran [[and look to the clouds up above.]]

big sky and they know what’s coming they know what’s coming they know what’s coming for decades and decades and [[centuries they’ve known what’s coming!]]

— y las iguanas y las culebras también lloran– — … — the iguanas are looking the iguanas all over are calling! the iguanas all over are tilting their necks they know what’s coming! — … — los salta cocotes en los árboles estaban llorando– — wild boars they have seen and they have sensed — iguanas big and small [[iguanas…]]

— … — … — … — … — they all know what’s coming they all know what’s coming [[they know what’s coming they know what’s coming for decades and decades and centuries they’ve known what’s coming!]] — … — …

— que van a decir ustedes que van a decir todos culebras river turtles they have seen and they have sensed las aves el bobo el perico los iguanas they know [[what’s coming]]

— … — … — … — … — … — … — … [[— …|jhjhjh]]

— the pigs are squealing the pigs are squealing the rabbit is jumping over the ditch the wild boar rampages through the forest they have seen and they have sensed they have seen and they have sensed — they know what’s coming they know what’s coming for decades and decades and centuries they’ve known what’s coming! and they jump and they dash and they run they have seen and they have sensed. — … and they squeal and they howl and they cry [[because they. all. know. what’s. coming.]]

— … — … los árboles they have seen and they have sensed they know they know what’s coming. — … — … — and they’ve known for centuries now they have known– and for centuries they have cried the trees and their progeny [[the animals and their–]] |

they know what came. they knew what would come. they knew all along what was coming. [[los árboles también, están llorando.]]

— … — los árboles del futuro también están llorando… — … — los árboles de los siglos por venir… — … — los árboles de la plaza… — … — este árbol, en frente del restaurante — … — del hotel conde de peñalba — donde me senté — … — donde siempre… — … — se encuentran los testigos — el fantasma del oprimido — y el fantasma del opresor — … — with the guitar player there every day — … — los árboles también, están llorando — … [[los árboles también, están llorando.|papap]]

— … los árboles también, están llorando. — … los árboles también, están llorando. — … [[los árboles también, están llorando.|pfpgpgdp]]

no lo olviden–nunca: los árboles también están llorando. | — … los árboles también están llorando. [[________________|95]]

these territories had <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> had other <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> these territories had <<timed 4s>>names<</timed>> had other <<timed 5s>>names<</timed>> [[they had other names other names other names]]

estos territorios tenían nombres estas tierras tenían nombres these territories had <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> had other <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> had other <<timed 4s>>names<</timed>> had other <<timed 5s>>names<</timed>> y los nombres cuentan. the names matter yeah they do [[¿estos territorios no tenían nombres?]]

yes they did don’t call them american not santo domingo sorry not hispaniola not– | no pertenecen a la reina no pertenecen a la reina de españa ni al don no sé quién they don’t belong to the queen they are not the puritans’ or the christians’ or… no pertenecen a nadie no pertenecen a nadie nadie nadie [[nadie]]

colón despierta othernames now othernames not real names not real names not real nottherightnames not the right names say with me: repeat after me nottherightnames nottherightnames not–! [[othernames they had these territories had other names–!]]

always other names and so which not this one not this one not this one no acepto los nuevos nombres no acepto los nombres sus nombres no lo acepto territorios con nombres falsos these new names i don’t accept them these names i don’t accept them not the right names not the right names [[they had other names they had other names]]

whisper with me: not the right names not the right names not the right names towns with wrong names cities with wrong names … not the right names no not the right names keep going with me keep going with me not the mountains not the rivers not … not the right names no not the right names no vamos a llamarlos lo que hoy lo llamamos no vamos a llamarlos lo que los ingleses lo llamaron [[… not the right names no not the right names]]

ni los españoles ni los franceses ni ni ni ni ni ni not the spanish versions not the french versions i’m sorry not las indias not la española, not hispaniola … not the right names no not the right names not saint domingue no se llama santo domingo–amigos perdónenme pero no se llama santo domingo no se llama santo domingo sorry sorry not enriquillo knew it and his guerillas and the other caciques and the other natives who rebelled… [[they fought for the right names these are not…]]

… not the right names no not the right names nombres noms pas de noms noms non non non aux noms non aux noms non aux noms non non non non non aux noms... nottherightnames nottherightnames not othernames they had these territories had other names [[we’re gonna change them]]

we’re gonna change them because they’re not the right names we’re gonna change them we’re gonna change all the names we’re gonna change all the names change all the names change all the names i don’t know what the new names will be we’re gonna change all the names [[change the names change them change them change]]

les noms not the right names they had other names not the right names not the right names they had other names not the right names so we’re gonna change all the names! [[we’re gonna change all the names!]]

nottherightnames nottherightnames not [[othernames they had these territories had other names!|ffffffff]]

layer upon layer layers upon layers layers upon layers layers upon layers upon layers! [[we’re gonna change all the names we’re gonna change all the names]]

whisper with me now everyone not the right names everybody with me we’re gonna make new names we’re gonna make new names! everybody now louder and louder and louder!! [[not the right names not the right names not the right names!!]]

nottherightnames nottherightnames not othernames they had these territories had other names nottherightnames nottherightnames not [[othernames they had these territories had other names]]

not the right <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> not the right <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> not the right <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> new<<timed 1s>> names<</timed>> for everything new <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> for everything not the right <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> we’re gonna change all the <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> change all the <<timed 2s>>names…<</timed>> [[change all the names chaaaaaange all the names…]]

change all the <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> chaaaaaange all: the naaaaaames… change all the names change all the names… change all [[the names|pfdsa]]

change all the <<timed 1s>>names<</timed>> … we’re gonna change all the <<timed 2s>>names<</timed>> yes we’re gonna change all the <<timed 3s>>names<</timed>> … | [[________________|97]]

los cuer.pos de. los– [[los cuerpos]]

de los. humanos the bodies. and the rivers they all. [[have been mutilated.]]

the moun.tains and the h.ills and the pathways. and the earth and the ri.ver.s and the. bo.dies. del mun.do de las. montañas [[y del rí.o]]

have been mutilated! | the ríos y cuer.pos. mutilados. they’ve all been mu.ti.la.ted . . [[.|99]]

the mu.tilators and the en.c.omien.das! a legal instrument for the exploitation of natives… [[the mutilation of souls…]]

for endless cuts and bruises… [[c.uts and bru.ises and wounds…]]

the mu.tilation of wo.rlds… teach them s.pan.ish and mutilate their languages… chris.tian.ize them and mutilate their s.ouls… wou.nds and w.ou.nds… [[and even the wounds, mutilated…]]

cuts and bru.ises–. and wou.nds… los ríos y las almas y los cuer.pos and … [[the souls…]]

they’re mutilated and– they– saw. it all–. [[yes they did…]] |

los rí.os y [[los cu.erp.os]]

[[they’ve all been mutilated–]] |

they saw it all and. the mu.tilation is on. their s.kin is. on their. th.eir [[souls.]]

los ríos y los cuer.pos mutilados their skin and their bl.ood and their … and their [[soul.s]] |

los ríos y lo.s c.uerpos mu.ti.lados [[in th.eir s.kin and th.eir bl.ood and their sou.ls]] |

los ca.balleros en sus ca.ba.llos los ex-<del>esclavos</del>– rebeldía y ra.vages. [[all mutilated]] …

[[all mu.tila.ted…]]

the indi.genas… mutilated after their rebellions… they knew… they knew… [[and we: re.membe.r: them…]] |

cuerpos mutilados– y el río mutilado– con sangre y [[des.pair–]] |

they’ve been mutilated… because they: saw it: all … and the f.allen … and so. th.ey know… they’ve been mu.tilated… [[…|ggggg]]

despair mutilation bl.ood ra.v.ages …… and r.age and so the l.ege.nd [[g.oes…]]

los rí.os mutilados las mon.tañas mu.tiladas los terren.os mutilados los caballeros [[los rebeldes]]

they kn.ow that th.eir bodies have been: mutilated they: have a.ll been mu.tilated [[…|pqqq]]

they all know the g.hosts… like us they kn.ow the ghosts… they all: kn.ow the g.hosts… like us th.ey know: the ghosts… they kn.ow the ghosts… and they are: mutilated… like us they know: the ghosts… todos los mutilados know the ghosts… like us they know the ghosts… the mutilated always know– know: the ghosts… lik.e us th.ey kn.ow the g.hosts… they all know: the ghosts and th.ey all know th.e mut.ila.ted ghosts still: hov.er along river.banks– they all know the m.utilated g.hosts still hover along riverbanks– | bodies of mutilated humans bodies of mutilated mountains bodies of: mutilated rivers b.odies: of mu.tila.ted ghosts… forever o.n th.e horizon… they all kn.ow the mu.tilated ghosts s.till hov.er along riverb.anks they all know the mutilated ghosts still hover: along riverb.anks… | a mutilated world… a mutilated world. [[________________|100]]

> <strong>a common soldier–ghost of</strong> (interviewed five hundred years later in their grave in the zona colonial) what is there to say i did my duty and they just carried on and burned it all down and tried to tried to get others too to burn tried to get others to [[destroy]]

i watched it i was fighting at first but there was nothing left to say after i was trying to be loyal to our our: what–? ideas? but i could not imagine or believe what we were doing. what we had become you may not believe this but we too, doubted some of us, also, doubted and when the stakes were raised and the new laws passed again i was sent off but this time, the last time there was no saving us… [[there was no saving me…]]

the stench from all sides… the odor–literal, figurative… the stench of the entire venture… and i, another among an endless number of fools [[victim of the illusions and the lies…]] |

> <strong>current passerby in azua, dominican republic–</strong> (imaginary interview in said region) mi nombre… cuál será mi nombre… y porque estoy hablando en español… vengo de otro mundo. pero lo entiendo… [[te entiendo…]]

yo también, cuando camino en estas calles, siento lo pesado de la historia… siento la historia… y a veces me siento aquí… cerca del río… y lloro… lloro… solo… y nadie me entiende… lloro por todas las víctimas que murieron en la oscuridad… todos los <del>esclavos</del>, muertos… todos los trabajadores… todo el sufrimiento… lloro… solo… cerca del río… [[e imagino…]]

> <strong>el mayordomo (who died)</strong> (at the beginning of the rebellion he was among the first victims) his eyes [[his eyes]]

his neck his hands his back [[his feet|ggaa]]

their fate one at a time name what befell them i was taken a complete surprise [[who would have thought that they would dare]] |

saw him coming towards me the fate of me [[never thought they would have the]] |

now the news of his doom good deserved savage deserves a savage [[death]]

i only regret [[that it was not worse]]

i only lament that we did not [[put an end to–]] |

i only lament that we had to i only lament that we let them survive… some of the ones who survived… they call it savage but it should’ve been more… more savage even [[than they had thought]] … |

i only lament that we did not [[…|tttttt]]

i only lament that we did not kill and ravage more cruelly still… [[that is my only lament…]]

> <strong>voice in my head</strong> ovando tenía razón todos los asesinos tienen razón así que se gana la historia es tan banal tan banal mira como bailan y juegan alrededor de la estatua de ovando en la ciudad colonial [[así es que se gana la historia–]] |

> <strong>an actor in this play</strong> (now: realtime) what i really wanted to do was to probe deep into who each of these folks was. the consciousness to identify themselves as themselves. how do they conceive of their identity. i don’t want to assume how they conceive of this situation… show the need to explain what has happened to them… [[how did they frame their action, i wonder…]]

i want you to think: not only about how we can present his story in the ways justified. but: how can we ascertain that we do justice to this scene? actor, 1, should they, playing the role of the rebel <del>slave</del>, speak in wolof. actor 2 speaks in spanish and english, as if they would be speaking, but which spanish. [[and how.]]

or: no words. how do we get to the bottom of who people are… defining subjectivity and one’s being in the world: not as easy as we think… and in order to do that: we need to take a step back. | the expectation might be that we go back to the <del>slave</del> ship and the middle passage, but we don’t. how de we lament then. how do we write the lamentations how should we [[…|hhhfffddd]] |

how do we lament how do we write the lamentations how do we lament … how … how do we lament [[…|pppwewwfff]]

> <strong>letter</strong> (written by an anonymous scribe) writing in wolof or in french or in spanish i… tell the story of life as a <del>slave</del> the story of the passage the story of life before that is all the lament [[that we need–]] |

all those laws… the decrees and all the shit the spanish did how they decided to reveal… letters…. read them… the endless letters… this was our world… i write a letter: that is the letter: i write a letter to the future the letter of savage unbecoming: that is the letter: words only for a lament [[that cannot find the words…]]

a letter of lament without words: a letter of lament [[without words…]]

> <strong>and the man on horseback</strong> who killed the first rebel the man who killed him [[the man who killed him]]

the man who killed him fears not cries not watches the rebel fall happily giddily and laments only that the pain was not greater how dare he [[how dared he…]]

we should have gone from house to house rape and pillage and burn. how dare they… like the mayordomo: i lament only: the lack of [[total cruelty…]]

> <strong>a wannabe chronicler</strong> i wish i had been there all along invisible and away from it all untouchable observer… giving the chronicle of forevers… no páginas en blanco all details and– [[all details included…]] |

they stand and where they stand they want so see the face of their tormentors and they grab their tormentors and talk to their tormentors not quite. the tormentors have no name they– what they ate what they carried what made them high holding the people in the house with the threat of– men: not some what to do with them [[…|yannn]] |

the children: kept safely. with the mothers the faces: doubt and uncertainty the conversations: and they are going on. are they communicating. what is the hope. if only i had been there… [[if only i had been there…]]

i would have used all the words at my disposal with the protection of the gods the protection of all angels i would have gotten close to the victims closer still to the oppressors the colonizers i would have gone onto the field into the halls a fly on the wall but more much more what i would give and you too–what you would give to have a neutral chronicler and observer there– | if only i had been there… [[if only i had been there…|yyaashff]]

> <strong>corpses</strong> the corpses these bodies strewn long the landscape the corpses of the rebellion the five-hundredth year is this year along the roads along the riverbanks along [[i’ll tell you what’s happened since]]

along mountain passes on the concrete city streets and the back alleys of the same city streets at night, in the day the wounds following the living and the dead the rebellions have never ceased there are those who see and those who do not and the statue built in the public square is brought down as it should… the corpses of the rebels line the corner alleys and the riverbanks [[there are five hundred years of corpses of rebels]]

but fear not there are the victories of rebels in the futures too all the way until the–! there are five hundred years of corpses of rebels there are five hundred years of corpses of rebels we know… we will always know… five hundred years of corpses of rebels… all of us all the fellow corpses… lament nothing at all lament only that we exist and so: lament nothing at all [[all the corpses along riverbanks…]]

> <strong>governor</strong> i decree that there shall be no lamentations no monuments to this ignominy no monuments to this–! i decree that forever the lies will be told and those who know of lies, will be silenced the lament is the lament of the weak we celebrate this we celebrate this [[lack of laments!]]

i decree that there shall be no lamentations! i decree that there shall be no lamentations– | i decree that there shall be no lamentations! | i decree that there shall be no lamentations! | i decree that there shall be no lamentations… i decree that there shall be no lamentations… i decree that there shall be no lamentations… [[i decree that there shall be no lamentations…]]

instead, i decree that forever the lies will be told and those who know of lies, will be silenced that would be the only lamentation: if the lies were reversed– that would be the only lamentation. i decree that forever the lies will be told and those who know of lies, will be silenced… that would be the only lamentation: [[if the lies were reversed.|if the lies are reversed.]]

that would be the only lamentation… [[i decree: that there will be no laments.]] |

> <strong>cristóbal colón</strong> how dare they wanna leave your plantation my son: the whisper– a whisper forever… how dare they wanna leave your plantation [[my son.]]

how dare they wanna leave your plantation [[my son–]] |

how dare they wanna leave: your plantation: my: [[son.]]

how dare they wanna leave your plantation [[my son.|faaaaaa]]

> <strong>the dead man</strong> now and forever there on the field and everywhere [[in the air and the sky–]] |

> <strong>i</strong> again i make an appearance i again lament the blank pages the 500 years of corpses along riverbanks [[the fate of the foot–]] |

i lament [[our own absences]]

i lament the burning house of all the cuts and burns the frozen howl [[and the isle of scars]]

i hear the restless breaths i see [[the ways they fall]]

i lament the status of cristóbal columbus [[across the countries and planets and galaxies and universes]]

i with the ghosts… [[howling into the sky]]

i making up and laughing at the complaint: how dare they how dare they wanna leave your plantation [[my son–|hhjjfff]] |

i lament chris’s brooding and diego’s devils the crying trees and the mutilated world the pauses and palabras [[the book of sighs]]

i lament the crowds in the plaza i wish they knew [[took a moment to–]] |

i lament [[the erasure]]

i lament [[the erasure|qqqwwweee]]

i lament [[the erasure–]] |

i lament (but make a museum of) silences so that never again these lamentations die with the flames for the burning house [[into the forever skies]]

i lament the need for [[the first revolt|gggpppooo]]

i sing the glory of [[the first revolt|lllaaappp]]

i lament the need for [[the first revolt|aaalllsss]]

i sing the glory of [[the first revolt|qqqpppsss]]

i lament the need for [[the first revolt|gggkkksss]]

i sing the glory of [[the first revolt|eeetttrrr]] …

i sing the glory of [[the first revolt|gggpppwww]] …

i lament the need for: the first revolt– | [[________________|102]]

or … do you feel incapable [[of]]

imagining how the scenes [[unfold…]]

[[the types of humans]]

(iv) the battles of the natives… they did not [[give in]]

… they rebelled also rebelled… [[early on rebelled…]]

they too… from the first to enriquillo the famous one… imagine… pause and imagine … [[their struggles…]]

[[…|gggooorrr]]

the calamity… and the future… encomiendas [[…|wwwtttnnn]]

(v) so far from being anything like: us… do we know can we know how to imagine these scenes from the distant orbs of his.tory … left blank… [[probably not–]] |

2. we need … pauses [[we n.eed]]

[[p.|auses…]] [[auses…]]

[[long pauses…]]

[[not to meditate–don’t meditate…]]

[[not to. relax…]]

not: to concentrate or …not to learn but to [[s.ee…]]

[[and h.ear…]]

… and experience [[that unfolding]]

[[not frantically or]]

[[fast or]]

not furiously no imagine imagine that body… [[on the ground]]

on the ground a b.od.y [[a.cross]]

from above the torn shirts the | [[blood…]]

all the nothings [[… all. the. everythings…]]

3. (i) you don’t need a lot of words… [[not …|bfffb]]

words to [[tell of]]

(ii) the car.nage before the carnage… the calamity… the foot law and the future encomienda … after just one maybe… word… carnage… but then… just broken: words… incomplete sentences… of course just broken. words and long pauses [[…|nnnfff]]

(iii) long blank stares slow burns just bro.ken. word.s [[forgotten lines]]

long pauses… just these words in 1521 or just that . in 1521 . . [[.|110]]

voices that s.eemed to ring from. longagos in dis.tant l.ands voi.ces of. brave people. voi.ces of crying hu.mans. of m.ortals with– voices of. dead. re.bels. voices of. the wandering g.hosts of. dead rebels. dead men the f.ir.st rebels. | in the book the ode to. the. first re.bel. [[the first dead. rebel.]]

i am the first victor of the first revolt of the <del>slave</del> trade in what has come to be called the americas the c.on.tinent– i am a s.ee.r i am ti.red tired. tired… this f.irst revolt will ge.ne.rate [[many… others.]] |

i would like to sh.ow you th.e way: i su.ccumbed to my: wounds i was on the f.ront: and we made the f.irst a.ttack you’ve heard: it all: before i kn.ow i told the po.et who: had accom.panied to imagine the. words i would u.tter un.der breath i told him to i–allowed him i am the first <del>slave</del> to have been murdered. within a revolt. in the americas. [[i am the first to be: mar.tyred.]]

he.ro with.out a n.ame is w.hat i am you’ve heard it: all be.fo.re i know hero with.out a name: and when i g.rabb.ed the mayor.domo i grabbed h.im: like so he was more cowardly than i thought [[whining: like all c.owards do]]

in the b.oo.k the s.igh: of the fu.ture poet a.pp.ears who will write. the b.oo.k of. the firs.t revolt. the book. of sighs: contained. an order. for the b.ook of po.ems and the se.cret of the gh.osts a.ppear.ing in t.he. s.ky… the fro.zen how.l in the s.ky… the se.cret was to.ld of the sigh.ting.s by the river.side of the fro.zen howl in the s.ky [[the frozen h.owl: in the deep: dark: sky…|rrrrrr]] |

only the wa.tcher could see: like the legend says only the reb.el lusting for rev.olt could f.ee.l: the rebels’ s.ouls only the cri.er c.oul.d hear. the rebels’ howls only the fa.llen c.ould fee.l the fa.llen all of that: was in: the b.ook of s.ighs seen and found on.ly by the wa.lk.ers by the river.sides who h.eard the howls and saw the ghosts of rebels: lost five. hundred. years. a.go only the wan.dering ba.rds could f.in.d: the book of sighs by the river.sides under the rebels’ ghosts who saw the frozen howl in the deep dark skies in the book of sighs… [[________________|113]]

i was alone there were no whispers. a homeless man, there, on that bench… a beggar, not far, by the statue of your father the conqueror, the criminal. there is only one way to tell this: it is the duel with diego! [[diego, i summon you to a duel–you must say.]]

the duel–verbal and otherwise: with diego, in the center of the zona, right in front of his damn historical house, that is where this must take place–: that is the only way to tell it all–to tell the story of the first revolt! [[imagine…|fdweee]]

2. (i) here i stood, diego colón, and i even drew my sword, calling for a duel but you did not appear… you were sleeping, here, in the zona colonial, of santo domingo this is where all of this started. this is where it all started: another in the suite of the zona colonial. [[that is where it started.]]

(ii) don’t think you’re special diego, with all these folks around– none of this counts. no te creas, con toda esa gente en la plaza you know very well, diego, you now i’m the only one over here that counts– y te voy a esperar aquí– they will all go at some point the cyclists the ice-cream sellers the wedding folks the lovers the teenagers they’ll all leave soon and it will be, again, you and i– y yo todavía, standing awaiting you– and the hours pass and the hours pass and the plaza slowly empties [[and then there is only the dark]]

and there is only a few drunks hanging around and soon enough it’s just us there by ovando [[waiting for you diego]]

(iii) i, alone at night, summoning you, to appear in this deserted landscape, in the zona colonial… all else, the rest of this rendering of the first revolt, extends and expands from this spot… on these cobblestones i summon you diego, colón. [[appear–if you dare!]]

(iv) diego colón does not appear at first but then: he has no choice he knows it: he has no choice [[and must appear!|yuyuyu]] |

3. (i) in 1521: the name of the island the name of the– [[the name you use]]

who: is: who: are these men: are they only men. what are their names [[…|hohohoho]]

(ii) i summon diego … diego awakens and diego walks out of the house and there we stand in the place where so often there are happy walkers and children running and tourists wandering and folks taking pictures and sellers hawking [[merchandise.]]

(iii) it was in the storm when all had scattered it was in the morning, early morning at dawn with everyone taking refuge under the roofs or in their houses [[or under another type of shade–]] |

i stood soaked in sun and rain rays of, drops of, unmoving, waiting, calling to you still knowing, that no one can be that much of a coward day after day, night after night, decade after decade century after century– i stood there awaiting you i knew you would appear, at dawn the dawn of the great guilt the dawn of your great defeat the dawn of the great– the night before– the dawn of the day when in 1521, the band of <del>slaves</del> [[rebelled…]]

(v) diego dares (the fool): you blame me go ahead you blame us go ahead but we built this place nice revisionist history your little piece, says diego… [[…|fjuti]]

but i know better and… i: slap him i raise my hand and slap him (funnily, this is diego in the flesh–and no ghost) i laugh–and smile in the flesh– and not a ghost diego: smiles back … [[he says, señor…]]

no te preocupes, le digo yo mi nombre no importa… as in: don’t you worry ’bout my name! he smiles again and then raises his hand and slaps me back. a grand battle with diego colón. no swords for now… [[just… hands… and words…|wowowowo]]

4. (i) — ¿quién te dijo que tú tenías el derecho? — el derecho siempre lo tuve… — ¿quién te dio el poder? — el poder siempre se busca–y se impone. — ¿cómo te diste el derecho de llamar a estos hombres, <del>esclavos</del>? — el derecho viene con el poder. i slap him hard left right left right, then smile. he smiles back and slaps me back just once. — [[no me caes bien, dice él.]]

(ii) — ahora los cuchillos, digo yo. — por qué no, dice él. — tú mereces una estocada–digo yo. — eso es lo que dicen–dice él. — verdaderamente, hicieron mucho daño. — eso es lo que piensas–dice él. [[and here we go…]]

(iii) i take out the dagger and plunge it into his heart. he looks down at it, sees the blood flowing, takes it out. — bien hecho, dice él. he takes out a smaller dagger and without warning, plunges it in my cheek. — here? i laugh. in the cheek? — es que tú sonríes demasiado. me molesta. — i see, i say. and you, talk too much, digo yo. the dagger back in my hands now lifted and comes down on his lips, a gash on both, as i expertly brought it from the angle… … pretty good… [[and then the swords…]]

(iv) and then the swords… (v) [[and then the swords…|yuyuyuyy]]

(vi) — what kind of sword is that, he asks–. but before he finishes his sentence, i have slashed him on his face, on his neck, on his left leg: scars–for life! — never mind, he laughs. and before i know it, he pulls out a sword whose provenance i could not make out [[either.]]

and this time on my left cheek, on my left chest, on my left thigh, gashes– or not–: that’s right: not. because i have ceased to play the game, and now pulled out a cannon i have, a few feet from him, and i target his face: the cannon right smack dab in his face. he’s not laughing anymore either [[instead pretending to be cool and asking questions.]]

(vii) what’s your beef anyway, he says. just like that, in english. [[and before he’s finished, i’m laughing–and very loudly–and igniting the cannon that shoots a heavy ball into his face.|eojngdd]]

5. diego colón is lying on his back in the plaza in front of the house that bears his name. there is no one around now. the stillness of the night. his face is smashed in, literally, and his blood is all over just like i intended. flowing in the plaza, flowing and flowing, under the trees, under the benches, through the canals, into the streets: his blood… diego colón is in a pool of blood, not even pretending to smile, but pathetically trying to get up. i approach and stand over him. i take out my knife, my sword, my cannon and [[call on the gods of winds, the gods of thunder…|durnesd]] |

6. (i) diego colón, on this day, five hundred years after the first revolt… i condemn you to eternal damnation, tú y tu padre y tu whole clan… [[we will take your house and keep it and have you hanging at the entrance, alive, to be flagellated by all the peoples of the world…]]

diego colón, you and your clan will occupy various rooms of your palace here alive and exhibited: the exhibition will last forever and the tour guides when they come around will point to your scars and your fears and your lies and invite the tourists to take a stab a new stab, at your hanging torso y cuerpo the adults and their kids will throw stones and cut your nose– even more pieces of you on the ground surrounding you. the great statue of the living in the flesh for we will allow them to discover, lo, rediscover: the true colón… from all over people will come and always more pieces of you getting cut, sliced. [[forever alive you, at the center of all these pieces of you around you.]]

(ii) diego y yo: en la noche en la zona colonial el se levanta y me mira a la cara dice él: si no fuera por nosotros, tú no estarías aquí si no fuera por nosotros, aquí no habría una plaza si no fuera por nosotros, nadie podría venir a contemplar la grandeza [[lo quieras o no, somos su historia y su diversión…]]

(iii) diego y yo, face to face again in the plaza, no knives, no swords, no cannons and he’s not lying in a pool of blood… (iv) i do not answer him. i do not reply. diego colón, i say, calmly, i condemn you to eternal servitude [[you and your clan…|tnduwid]]

7. diego colón stares at me and somehow strangely all around us, the trees and the benches, the buildings and the signs, all begin to turn, turn… turn and turn… and twirl and twirl… and we two in what seems like an unreal desert: a duel? a historic moment a meetings across the centuries a moment of reckoning [[all that, but perhaps also a simple staredown, centuries on…]]

as you condemn me, diego says, so too, i condemn you. and diego colón with the very evil laughter, suddenly starts running fast and takes off in a direction unknown… [[maybe i’ll let him go… just let him go…|ownvnnnbbb]]

but no, i shall do no such thing– [[i take off also, smooth and fast: take off also…]] |

8. (i) flapping flapping my wings in hot pursuit in our city on the sidewalks over the rooftops and the trees… above the streets, diego screeching, diego tempting diego and i untethered knowing i will not let him get away with it no way not: [[in pursuit, across the terrain across the centuries…]]

him shooting down, and swooping back up and i on his heels he, laughing and cavorting and standing alone on a rooftop i right there laughing at his pretentious flight of fancy. he: hopping on rooftops mocking the freedom fighters of past and present and then across the plazas [[i in turn laughing at his… hubris!]]

(ii) diego y yo, after the initial duels after the pursuits after the long dashes and flights diego y yo, en la plaza otra vez no te mates ey, he jokes pues de veras, deja eso tranquilo he says it’s passed, it’s history he even keels over and puts his hands on his knees and [[then, fatigued, pops back up…]]

(iii) diego, i say to him, looking at him his exhaustion, his calamitous high esteem in full view i’m not letting you not letting you get away with it not these 500 years of corpses along riverbanks not not the times they said no no [[no lo voy a dejar|ososososs]]

(iv) he laughs again. fine, he says, suit yourself–! and this time with a stranger call a whole army appears and lo and behold, live and in person: su papi chris, in the flesh! so yo, not alone anymore in the plaza i shake my head and laugh here we go again… you did well with the capitulaciones de santa fe i say mockingly and derisively set you up well ey–i look at diego but then roldan & company fucked that up didn’t they and it wasn’t rosy anymore. i laugh again. besides: all that is irrelevant now. i stand before you all [[and it’s all over–army or not.]]

they stand unmoving diego, surprisingly, he wooshes them away the whole army–and all vanish again. his point: articulated in the next moment: i can call upon them at any moment and all will reappear, at a moment’s notice– [[fear us: still!|uytrijdc]]

9. i stand before diego alone again, and simply smile: no te voy a dejar, diego, no te voy a dejar… i got no fear but instead: tenemos issues tú y yo, o tal vez, tú y yo y mucha gente más. no te voy a dejar diego, [[i yell–i got you by the balls, and i’m not letting go–!]]

diego, this is the end: forever with you forever stronger against you they will stand leave the tricks behind the shtick is over it’s just you and i y ningún descubrimiento tú y yo, diego, y la historia– dile, diego, a la historia universal lo que quieres lo que dices lo que piensas. diego, y yo, solos aquí, en la zona llena de sangre–! nada más que decir, dice él ya, [[nada más que decir…]] |

10. (i) and then the swords … and then the swords … and the slash left and the slash right and he dares not call upon an army either [[or his daddy]]

(ii) the slashes keep coming diego déjalo ya déjalo ya it’s all over… (iii) nada más que decir diego aquí tú y yo siempre en nuestras batallas with or without your army in the invisible pool of blood tú y yo aquí ya– [[nada más que decir…|jjjjfff]]

(iv) no more flights no more running away i do not let him the duel is over the duel is done [[i have won]]

11. (i) for us all i have won the duel is done exhausted he stands kneeling in front of the house [[that bears his name]]

(ii) i slash his body again and again and again [[and he admits defeat.|gggdddttt]] |

12. (i) in the duel in the zona diego colón at last defeated surrenders (ii) the duel is over i have won there is no doubt [[and no controversy|ppeejjddii]]

(iii) the duel is over i have won and i mark his body all over [[with the slashings of my sword.]]

(iv) and i tell him again the new order of things: the house will stand and you diego will be a living statue in the flesh, for we will allow them to discover yes, rediscover, the true colón. el descubrimiento remodelado… from all over people will come and always more pieces of you getting cut and sliced and placed in your little room in your little bed and also in front of your big house! forever alive you getting sliced to pieces scattered all about for tourists to come and see: [[these pieces of you around pieces of you–|ggffghgff]]

13. the duel is over i have won and i mark his body all over with the slashings of my sword– | [[asi es: te gano con mi pluma…|oorrhjjffuu]]

14. the duel is over i have won… the duel is over i have won and i mark his body all over [[with the slashings of my sword.|fjjiiuudd]] |

the duel is over i have won… [[________________|115]]

[[that’s the way to tell it the only way to tell it just tell of the laughing doll, the end all of all, the laughing doll, the end of all… lafin’ d’all… just do that: tell of: lafin’ d’all…]]

la fin d’all: the story no: story narrator: not a story story: just a laughing doll just a laughing doll just a laughing doll [[is all…]]

lafin’ d’all… over over over lafin’ d’all… is: what’s happening: a revolt la fin d’all… a doll a mask a tree a– over over over lafin’ d’all [[…|ffdjijfijij]]

end all of all… and the corpses of some survivors of the rebellion after torture and maiming and killing left along the road to: bring terror to all the other <del>slaves</del> lest they also have ideas about [[revolts!|lflflflflf]]

la fin d’all: doubts i mean and howls i mean strung together lines the lives i say the lies, songs i mean the first revolt an uprising against the– the rebellion will be suppressed. the rebellion will be relinquished. the first revolt will be annulled. the first revolt will be undone. end all of all so be it end all of all . . [[.|117]]

again… the end all of all… the end all of all… la fin d’all the laughter and the cries … again… the end all of all… [[the end all of all…|fjfjdiduud]]

la fin d’all the laughter and the cries … and corpses on display to frighten all the others… | the end all of all… the end all of all [[…|jfjfdjaisd]] |

the end all of all… the end all of all the rebellions… the freedoms… the lands and the laws… [[and corpses on display: to frighten all the others…|oidrjdajsdr]] |

the end all of all… [[the end all of all…|eieieieieieieio]] |

the end all of all… the end all of all… fear not and say it… [[say it…]]

the end all of all… the end all of all… [[…|ghrtrres]]

… [[say it…|dkdruieur]]

the end all of all… [[the end all of all…]]

and corpses on display: to frighten all the others … [[say it…|fdaseeerr]]

the end all of all… [[the end all of all…|rreessddrr]]

say it… say it… say it… [[again…|dordhhhd]]

the end all of all… the end all of all… [[say it…|fdsddddddd]]

say it… again and again [[…|dkresss]]

[[and again…|dduurrewwwss]] |

the end all of all… the end all of all … | say it… say it… [[…|driiidididi]]

say it… say it… | … [[again]]

… and again… … [[and:]]

again… end all: of all… [[________________|120]]

i weep along [[so weep along with me|ddooeeiirr]]

in 1521, and then again in 1621, and then again in 1721 and then again in 1821 and then again in 1921– and then again in 2021 the last cacique appears in this field i, a cacique no one knew the eternal cacique [[alive still|ppqqoowwiiee]]

i, lo vi todo y todavía lo veo five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks i am the cacique you have not heard of the cacique eternal the cacique without a name the cacique, rep and rey, of los nameless i stand alone on the spire above the statues of the public square in the park along the monument and i walk along this side of the world still there is no more room for weeping there is no time [[for weeping]]

the last glance at the devastation… i am the last cacique rey de los desamparados rey de los rebeldes whose ghosts sleep in the sky with them, i too travel along the skyscapes and sitescapes among the trees in the forest in the skies among the rays of the sun [[the waves of time itself]]

five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks five hundred years five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks i saw the narrator waiting for diego i saw him waiting for diego i saw him during the fiesta i saw him during the reformation fiesta i saw him among all the dancers and the– | he waited night and day [[until diego decided: to show up–]] |

(i have seen it all the new constructions the new condos the peloteros the new riches the river bathing the paths the highways the jeepetas even o yeah–laugh if you must– and still i stand [[and still i rise…)|fdfdreeiir]]

and they knew me the principle caciques of 1492. guarionex guacanagarix caonabo bohechio cayacoa… they will always hear me. know me. always with me. the largo viaje to the other world. other worlds. [[among them and back again.|roeridmfrdm]]

i have seen and touched and above them whispered their last whispers and flown afterwards to their loved ones to tell them of this, all of this… i am the last cacique teller of truths capturer of dreams usurper of despair [[the distiller of woes]]

i have walked along these streets flown through the masts of boats hovered about the ports sat on the rocks overlooking the ocean and your statues of liberties you have seen me i am there always with alongside in your eyes in your sun in your clouds and then on those days that i appear right before you how you shake your head and wonder [[who this could be|rruueeiiwwoo]]

i put on the clothes of the last cacique i put the makeup of the last cacique and i sing to the gods for i am the last cacique the unknown cacique the eternal cacique i saw the burning house saw the dying ones and i, even, also, had a little chat with diego– and his dad… the last cacique i sing a hymn to the rebels of old [[the rebels of this and other lands]]

the last cacique god of rebels of all the lands born when i saw the rebels of the first revolt slaughtered already eternal hundreds of years millennial in the tradition of the immortal poets born again that day, when i came down from afar from the hilltop from the mountaintops of centuries past along the waterfalls [[from the top of the old monuments]]

i was born on the day of witnessing on the rebirth of the witnessing on all the days in my eternal stay i witnessed over and over again the struggle of the first revolt i am the last cacique the first cacique the forever cacique the eternal cacique of this and upcoming first revolts fear me love me [[hug me.|fuck me]]

for i am the first cacique the forever cacique the eternal cacique and the last glance of the last cacique is the first cry of a new revolt always a new revolt [[always a new revolt|reiuwusuere]]

the last glance of the last cacique of the eternal cacique is the cry of restless despair the cry of a lust [[for freedom|ruehfbgbhf]]

the last cacique i am the eternal cacique and my last glance and my last glance is at– and my sorrows forever will be heard again [[and again]]

for i am the eternal cacique friend and companion of rebels all of this and other lands of this first and future [[revolts]]

fear me love me hug me for i am the first cacique the forever cacique the eternal cacique [[________________|122]]

la anatomía de esta rebeldía … | — quién eres tú… — i am a child of the revolution i am a child of the revolution and i will say the names of the unnamed and i will point to the five hundred years of corpses along the riverbanks yo: soy una voz más en defensa de los indefensos praising the rebels . . [[.|139]]

and then we will make the archives… [[…|doiresiee]]

we will make the archives we will make the archives [[of silences…|eeeiirrjjdd]]

we will make the archives [[of silences…|flflfldkdkdkjsjs]]

[[and we will make the archives available.|hhdduurriieeoopp]]

[[the silence of the oppressors|fjiiueeeeiirorororo]]

[[the silence of the historians|ruewisjadkalsdknfgdkur]]

[[the silence of the populace|rrrrtttt]]

[[the silence of: the tellers|gfiiiififififi]]

[[the silence of: the governors|djreidreurded]]

[[the silence of the poets|reeeeeeee]]

of the academics of the rebels even of all allies [[…|fkfkfkfkfkf]]

the silence of: the rebels [[even|eeerrrgggfff]]

and in the halls of the archives we will walk in the halls of the archives [[only the echoes of the silences|fkfkfkfeoeoeo]]

in the halls of the archives we will walk in the halls of the archives only the echoes of the silences… no prayers [[no meditations no–|rriefnvv]]

no reflections [[no moments of reflection no|eeoroeoeoeoeo]]

we will put [[the silences on exhibit|ppppppplllll]]

the silence of the governor the silence of the historians [[the silence of the academics…|bbbbbbnnn]]

[[the archives of silences|dddvbvvbbv]]

[[the archives of silences|wpwpfkkf]]

ahora, una arqueología de los silencios todos los silencios … the archives of silences an archeology of the silences [[…|fnnfnnnnnn]]

we will make the archives of silences the grandest of exhibits– the silences around it all… [[around it all…|eeeeeeeeeeee]]

the blank pages and the silences around it all: the deaths by hunger… the deaths by genocide… hard labor… the work in the mines… [[los abusos…|eeeeeririifjfj]]

the silences around the voluntary abortions– [[because they did not want the children to live under the oppressor’s domination.|nnnvvdfff]]

the silences around the diseases. the diseases brought over. el silencio de las catedrales el silencio de los reales el silencio de los culpables the silences in the face of their dogs their guns their protective armor… (nothing to do with the apparition of the virgen de las mercedes!) and the silences around the maps… and the names… [[a new and foreign way to make a new world…|gggggnn]]

the silences around the impositions of terror– all of them: all the impositions of terror… in the beginning after the rebellion of natives… (thousands murdered in 1495!) and then again in later years… [[and all the years after that…]]

the archives of silences: a renegade [[theatrical reckoning|ffdkiieeee]]

the archives of silences: [[the archives of silences:]]

this reckoning [[this reckoning]]

is the archive of the silences of… [[of the 500th anniversary of the first revolt.]] |

[[a reckoning|rrreeetttyyy]]

we will make the museum [[the museum of silences]]

on this [[the 500th year of the revolt]]

[[the first revolt|goiansdrasd]]

the archives of silences excavating shamelessly fearlessly these silences an anthology [[of silences|yyccdd]]

a museum of silences is this reckoning– is this reckoning… | an archeology of silence the archives of silences… [[we will make…]]

we will make the archives of silences … [[________________|143]]

… ________________ you were not brought to this land, enslaved, aboard ships … this did not happen [[…|ffydydydy]]

the plantation of diego colón does not exist … the plantation of don diego colón does not exist … who is this diego colón, after all [[…|dfdasdudududud]]

a spoiled daddy’s boy, handed his land and the generational wealth [[…|oooppee]]

the plantation of diego colón does not exist because diego colón does not exist [[because christopher columbus does not exist|rrreererere]]

christopher columbus does not exist [[there is no christopher columbus!|eeeeoeoeoeoe]]

you were not on a ship … you were not on a ship crossing the treacherous waters … you were not forced into forced labor … that never happened … [[…|eiurieure]]

azua does not exist … azua does not exist … you did not collectively plan this assault, this rebellion, this secret revolution [[…|alskdjfhfghg]]

this rebellion does not exist because the plantation does not exist because diego colón does not exist because christopher columbus does not exist [[…|pqkdffhjnb]]

… you will not flee … you didn’t rebel … there was nothing to rebel against … because the plantation does not exist because diego colón does not exist because christopher columbus does not exist [[…|aslkdvmnc]]

there were no laws. no laws instituted after your– rebellion … there was no cutting off of the foot … you did not march did not march along the river … there was no river. and you did not. march. and you did not– | [[…|fdasdfergmmb]]

you did not go to the … there was no mobilization on the part of the conquistadores. there was no | there was no cavalry. they did not have weapons–superior weapons… and they did not crush the rebellion you were part of and you triumphed … [[the trees did not cry–|fdasnvbrut]] |

there were no new laws and there were no new laws and you triumphed … there was no foot law [[…|dfamnnbnbnb]]

there was nothing … there was nothing [[…|thththththff]]

… you were not there and you– and you were not there and you were not there… and you were not there … you were not there and … there was no rebellion [[…|fdasnbnbnbnbnb]] |

no <del>slaves</del> … no lands [[…|nvbraohjh]]

there was no rebellion five hundred years ago in december 1521 … that … was not … the first revolt [[…|bnvmfjkriou]]

the … frst … rvlt [[…|vbnbnfjfjrru]]

there was no rebellion five hundred years ago in december 1521 … there was no rebellion five hundred years ago in december 1521 … there were no footlaws no ghosts along riverbanks no howls in the sky … there was no rebellion five hundred years ago in december 1521 … no wounds in the sky no howls no ghosts in the sky no cries no remains or corpses or book of sighs [[…|gjgjgjgjgjg]]

and this … is not the first revolt [[…|nbnbnbnbnbnbn]]

and this … is not frst rvlt [[…|bmkfuerd]]

and this … is not: frst rvlt – this [[…|isisisisisisisis]]

is not: frst rvlt … this is not [[…|mbmbmbmbmbmb]]

is not : frst rvlt [[…|nbhgyjf]]

(how do we end it [[how do we end it…)|nnnbnbnb]]

this is not the last revolt … this is not the last revolt [[…|hhghghghgh]]

the insurrections will carry on … there will be more… more revolts… more insurrections… many many more… more revolts [[…|bnghurjfkd]]

guzman… vaquero… diego del campo, aka diego de ocampo… (love how their names derive from their professions, or where they come from…) the maroons… 1542-1546, another grand revolt… and another after that and another after that [[…|fdnbbuuuuu]]

endless the revolts … after the first revolt … after this first revolt… [[(not: the first revolt…)|qpqplslskdkdfjjf]]

500 years … 500 years … no years of corpses along the riverbanks no frozen howl in the deep dark sky … and this … is not: frst rvlt [[…|asdfjkj]]

and this … is not : the last [[revolt|owoweiei]] –!

[[this is not the last revolt.|eijfnvfhj]] |

500 years of corpses along riverbanks how dare they how dare they (they dare chris, they dare we dare we dare we dare (and we’re gonna change all the names too) …) no howls in the deep dark skies no book of sighs… we dare [[we dare…|bnbnhghgriri]]

and thus … this: is not: will not be: can not be : no: will not: be [[:|mbmmb]]

the last revolt [[…|fdvvvvvvv]]

long ago, others in their madness of revolt and resistance and rebirth, also fell | they fell across the fields they fell by shots they fell during an attack | all <<timed 3s>>fall.<</timed>> all… <<timed 6s>>fall.<</timed>> | — here too, most <<timed 9s>>fall.<</timed>> [[all lie: in their blood and]] |

so here now i ask again | all those who lie in these fields all those who lie along the river banks… | struck–! down… shot–! down… hacked! [[down…]]

how… how did they f.all… how did they… f.all… [[…|lkjfdsss]]

— … — … — when the surprises… happen — … — when they a.ttack or are a.tta.cked. working the field working–in the house surprised. and turn and– [[hey–!]]

how do they fall… who is guilty for the fall… how did they fall and [[hey–!|fdsttttt]]

did they <<timed 3s>>f.all<</timed>> on th.eir r.ight side… did they <<timed 5s>>fall…<</timed>> on their back did their heads snap | when they <<timed 6s>>fell…<</timed>> did they <<timed 7s>>f.all<</timed>> for.ward… [[hey–!|poaskkkd]] …

— … — … — when they are stabbed or shot or– caught from behind how… do they… <<timed 3s>>fall<</timed>> … — … — [[…|hhhiiirrr]]

did they <<timed 3s>>fall–<</timed>> while they ran away and– when they <<timed 4s>>fell<</timed>> did they. get back up. and <<timed 5s>>fall. <</timed>> again… or– did they get back up hoping again that they will never. <<timed 6s>>fall:<</timed>> again…– [[hey!]]

running do they <<timed 3s>>fall<</timed>> and try slowly to… get: up–. or… — … — … — how– — [[…|fdfffdfdfd]]

… … the way they <<timed 3s>>fall,<</timed>> the way they ran. the breathless runs… the <<timed 3s>>fall:<</timed>> forward… — … — … — … thinking… thinking dreaming still of how: they could run without <<timed 5s>>falling:<</timed>> ever–: again– [[hey–!|ffiidd]]

— … … when they got shot: or hacked: or stabbed: did they <<timed 3s>>fall…<</timed>> alone… or did they <<timed 4s>>fall,<</timed>> with others also <<timed 5s>>[[falling…]]<</timed>>

( — … — … ( — do ghosts <<timed 2s>>fall…<</timed>> — do ghosts of massacred rebels run then <<timed 3s>>fall…<</timed>> — do ghosts of massacred rebels whose limbs are cut off: do they <<timed 4s>>fall…<</timed>> — … — … — is every story a story of the <<timed 5s>>fall<</timed>> — is this the story of… <<timed 6s>>falling,<</timed>> after all… ) [[)|ffffffffffff]]

— and the children–! did the children: <<timed 2s>>fall!?<</timed>> when they wa.tch.ed. their fathers… <<timed 3s>>fall…<</timed>> did the ch.il.dren <<timed 4s>>fall…<</timed>> when they watched their fathers <<timed 5s>>fall!<</timed>> did they <<timed 6s>>fall<</timed>> after the <<timed 7s>>fall<</timed>> [[…|ienvs]]

— … — … — how many <<timed 2s>>falls<</timed>> shall we enact… — how many <<timed 3s>>falls<</timed>> can we seek… — how: many: <<timed 4s>>fall…<</timed>> — how many <<timed 5s>>falls<</timed>> do we depict… how. many. <<timed 6s>>[[fall…]]<</timed>>

how many <<timed 3s>>falls<</timed>> can we [[…|yiwnnff]]

— how is every <<timed 3s>>fall <</timed>> different from every other <<timed 5s>>fall… <</timed>> — how! many! <<timed 7s>>[[fall!]]<</timed>>

… how many <<timed 3s>>[[falls!]]<</timed>>

— … — … — how many <<timed 2s>>fall<</timed>>–how can we know… — … — how many <<timed 4s>>falls<</timed>>–shall we depict. — … — … — … — how… how many <<timed 6s>>fall…<</timed>> when will we know… [[how many falls shall we portray…|tjanse]]

how: many: fall? how many falls: shall we… how many: fall…? how many falls? [[…|wenngg]]

did they fall on their: right… on their left… forward and– back… — … — the mayordomo falls this way on his ass… — … — the rebel [[that way…]]

— … — … — how many fall–how can we know… — … — how many falls–shall we depict– — [[…|twtwtwtw]] |

— and… the horses!! the horses… they fall… and… how!– they collapse! to the g.r.ound… [[the horses…]] |

> let the ghosts rise… let the ghosts rise… let the ghosts wander let the ghosts rise… [[let the ghosts rise always let the ghosts rise…|dassss]]

> let the ghosts rise… let the ghosts rise… [[let the ghosts wander let the ghosts rise…]]

> let the ghosts rise always let the ghosts rise… <<timed 3s>>>let the ghosts rise…<</timed>> <<timed 6s>>let the ghosts rise…<</timed>> <<timed 9s>>[[let the ghosts wander let the ghosts rise…|ptmggg]]<</timed>>

> let the ghosts rise <<timed 3s>>>always let the ghosts rise… [[________________|75]] <</timed>>

a.tta.ck.ed with.out–. (how do i stand where must i stand or sit or who tells who watches who [[is the teller who the– |)]]|)

are they afraid. despite our interpretation. {there is a pause. a grand pause. question of who they are and how to determine who they are.} who they are. the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill. | {lights out} new world? not a new world. [[a new nightmare.]]|

— … — the bo.ok. of. sigh.s tell. the f.aces. an.d. the gazes and. the. cries tell. of the fro.zen how.l.s — … — write. the tears of th.e. trees — … — … write. the telling write. the b.ook of highs. write. . . [[.|5]]

is. — … — … the way to t.ell it is what the question. is. yes, the question? is. yes, the question. | — … — … [[in 15twenty–]]

in 15twenty . one. — … — … — a group of people… rebelled. <del>slaves</del>. rebelled–i s.ay again. — the first. revolt… — in a land — called | — a land called . . [[.|6]]

— the field has been. razed. almost as if to make it possible, to tell… — over and o.ver, the sa.me tale… — … — ghost-like wan.derers sift through this landscape. they w.an.der among these tell.ers who sit idly by when no one has come to hea.r their tales. — to tell. — how. — … — … — h.ow… in 1521, a band of rebels… . . [[.|7]]

— … — in 15twenty . one. — … — … — the first re.volt… — … — … — the a.na.tomy of the. — … the f.irst revolt. — the first re.volt and h.ow. to write. it . . [[.|10]]

(so few mentions only the–. (the– non-completion c.an be. told. — … … the unre.liability can be. told. the unt.ella.bility can. be. t.old. on.ly. that.) — … — … so l.ittle so for.gotten the <del>slave</del> rebellion of 15.twentyone qu.inientos. años. ) ) [[an an.at.omy]]

as much as it c.an b.e. con.structed. the reb.ellions. — the way. they. fall. write, the way they. — write–: — the way th.ey. sa.y. good.by.e write. — … — the bo.ok. of. sigh.s tell. the faces. an.d. the gazes and. the. . . [[.|11]]

we dig into scarred faces– | we dig into scared faces … scarred faces … scared faces … we d.ig . scarred faces scared faces . . [[.|28]]

dig into the earth dig into the cemeteries the un-cemeteries dig into the bones … we dig into the bones… the words . . [[.|32]]

<em>a manic embodied pluridisciplinary reckoning</em> <em>(the text/twine variations)</em> a section of <em>{La Zona: Trilogía}</em> a volume of <em>¡ôwhatarevolution!</em> (2022, The Elastic Circus of the Revolution) <span class="special">[[about|cvr]]</span> <span class="special">[[table of contents|chapters]]</span> <span class="special">[[start|Description]]</span>

don cristóbal is first offended–! then scared… then angered! then happy… that the men! of his son’s military! [[have come to the defense… of his son on the island…|foeeee]]

don cristóbal in columbus circle in new york! shouts out to his homies in the field singing their praises for putting down: the rebellion! don cristóbal standing in the zona colonial of santo domingo is shouting to his homies in the field and singing their praises [[for putting down: the rebellion!]]

don cristóbal standing at the entrance in san juan puerto rico is shouting to his homies in the field and singing their praises for putting down… [[the rebellion!!!|fdodododo]]

myyyyy son! myyyyyyyy son! [[my son!!!!|fdasdgffffhggg]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they!<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>how…<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>dare:<</timed>> <<timed 4s>>they…<</timed>> [[my son…|fdadttttt]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhhhhhhhrrrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they...<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>dehhhhhhhhrrrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 4s>>they...<</timed>> how [[dehhhhhhhrrrrrr they…]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhhhrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave– your– plantation–! [[my son!|pqkfnghhh]]

the statues of don cristóbal across this country i mean the u.s. of a. come alive and don cristóbal begins to shoot at all the <del>slaves</del> and all the <del>slaves’</del> ghosts and all the <del>slaves’</del>descendents across the country. <<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhhrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they!<</timed>> how [[dehhhhrrrr they…]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhhhhrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they!<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 4s>>dehhhrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> … <<timed 3s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhrrr<</timed>> <<timed 1s>>they:<</timed>> wanna leave! your! plan.ta.tion–! [[my: son.]] |

the statues of don cristóbal across lands now called north and south america all come alive and shoot at all the rebels across the entirety of this majestic multi-continental continent! <<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they!<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>dehhhrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 4s>>they...<</timed>> how: dehhhrrrr [[they–!]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhrrr<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dehhhrrrrrr<</timed>> <<timed 1s>>they:<</timed>> wanna leave! your plan.tation! my [[son.|ffffffeee]] |

the statues of don cristóbal across all the continents of the entire globe now come alive and shoot at all the rebels across all the continents while they scream their mantra… how dare they! [[how dehhrr they…]]

how dehhhrrrrrr they! how dehhhhrrrrrr they… how dehhhhhrrrrr they… [[how dehhrr they!]]

how dare they how dare they [[…|eatattt]]

wanna leave … your plantation: my [[son.|rrgmgmgm]]

how dare they… how dare they how dare they how dare they… how dare they wanna leave [[your plantation my: son.]]

how dehhrrrr they how dehhrr they: wanna leave: your plantation: my [[son…|bmbmbmbm]] |

the statues of columbus across all the planets of the solar system come alive … come alive alive alive… and hold hands and then let go and shoot at all the rebels that ever existed in the whole world… [[at all the rebels across all the planets all all all the planets of the solar system yes–]] |

how dehhhrrr they how dehhhrrr they wanna leave your plantation… my son. how dare they… how dehhrrr they! wanna leave–! your plantation–! my: [[son–!|fjjjj]]

the statues of columbus across all the galaxies now yes all the galaxies of all the universes come alive alive alive: alive and hold hands and let go [[and shoot at all the rebels that ever existed in all the galaxies.]] |

how dare they… how dare they wanna leave your plantation my [[son!|ppsssss]]

the statues of columbus now across all the universes–of which apparently at this writing there are eleven–not just the universe but all the universes: they come alive they come alive they come alive … and shoot at all the rebels that ever existed in all these universes. | shoot [[at all the rebels]]

in all… the… universes… how: dare: they… how dare [[they–!|reeeeeee]]

how dare they: wanna leave: your plantation my [[son.|fdafdsfasdfasd]]

how dare they. wanna leave: your plantation: my [[son.|fdfffff]]

how dare they. how dare they… how. dare. [[they…|hhhhggg]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they.<</timed>> wanna leave: your plantation: my [[son.|asdfjkrr]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave: your plantation: my [[son.|hjhjhjhj]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave your plantation my son. <<timed 3s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 1s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave your plantation my son. <<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave your plantation my son. <<timed 3s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 1s>>they<</timed>> wanna leave your plantation my son. [[how dare they wanna leave your plantation my son.]]

<<timed 1s>>how<</timed>> <<timed 2s>>dare<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>they:<</timed>> wanna leave: your plantation: my [[son.|fasdfdfrr]]

how dare they. wanna leave: your plantation: my son. | [[________________|83]]

(iv) diego y yo esta madrugada all alone in the plaza diego approaches me [[and stands before me.]] |

<<if passage() !== "Start" && passage() !== "start2" >> <div class="pheader"> <<back ←>> [[toc|chapters]] [[*|math]] [[rrt|146]] [[abt|cvr]] </div> <<if passage() !== "cvr" && passage() !== "chapters" && passage() !== "amir parsa" && passage() !== "luke degnan (bio)" && passage() !== "sources" && passage() !== "ack" && passage() !== "rrt" && passage() !== "147" >> <div class="rando"> <<set _start = random(0, $array.length - 5)>> <<for _line range $array.slice(_start, _start + 5)>> _line<br> <</for>> </div> <</if>> <</if>>

<<set $passages to ["2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21", "22", "23", "24", "25", "26", "27", "28", "29", "30", "31", "32", "33", "34", "35", "36", "37", "38", "39", "40", "41", "42", "43", "44", "45", "46", "47", "48", "49", "50", "51", "52", "53", "54", "55", "56", "57", "58", "59", "60", "61", "62", "63", "64", "65", "66", "67", "68", "69", "70", "71", "72", "73", "74", "75", "76", "77", "78", "79", "80", "81", "82", "83", "84", "85", "86", "87", "88", "89", "90", "91", "92", "93", "94", "95", "96", "97", "98", "99", "100", "101", "102", "103", "104", "105", "106", "107", "108", "109", "110", "111", "112", "113", "114", "115", "116", "117", "118", "119", "120", "121", "122", "123", "124", "125", "126", "127", "128", "129", "130", "131", "132", "133", "134", "135", "136", "137", "138", "139", "140", "141", "142", "143", "144", "145", "146", "147", "chapters", "and no one knows who it is\u2026", "you hear it\u2026", "the way to tell is to let la tierra tell it\u2026", "all\u2026", "la tierra lo sabe: todo\u2026", "theyhavemade", "and you begin to run\u2026", "of centuries. lost.", "theearthknows", "andtheysay", "the slave rebellion of 15twentyone", "hace. qui.ni.entos. a\u00f1os.", "to run", "i ran by the passersby and the s.miling bo.ys and the sullen souls\u2026", "save. my. life\u2026", "to save my soul\u2026", "\u2014 so the leg.end goes\u2026", "howl of a ghost", "the howl of the watcher\u2026", "mixed in with the death screams of the rebels\u2026", "wh.o: who hears it\u2026 ?", "wh.o. hears. it", "only they hear the howl along the river who know that men. must. rebel\u2026", "i heard as i ran and i ran\u2026", "and i ran and i ran\u2013", "cyclists and the motorcyclists and the\u2013", "i ran and i r.an", "and i ran and i ran", "to avert my e.yes and", "save my life", "fields\u2026", "d.ig\u2026", "we are diggers and diggers\u2026 dig\u2026", "into the dirts of all the lands\u2026 not just our own\u2026", "and in the days of\u2013", "given to till the lands of others for others\u2013", "across the plantations\u2026", "of words\u2026", "dig101", "but the bodies\u2013", "dig?", "we d.ig\u2026", "dig\u2013", "intotheblank", "intothebones", "but\u2026", "tell. the names.", "my name is\u2013", "i would like to show you the way i succumbed to my wounds!", "nostalgicdreamer", "anothercomesforward", "igrabbedhim", "i grabbed him like so\u2013he was more cowardly than i thought!", "illlaugh", "i\u2019ll laugh in your face always fuckers\u2013how do you say that in ess.pag.nol!", "andistabbed", "and i stabbed him right in the\u2026 balls!", "the nameless wanderers\u2026", "i ran\u2026 away", "givetheirnames", "when you don\u2019t know\u2013", "their names!", "their enslavement", "when their names\u2013", "what could have been their lives", "butwhatif", "are names of oppressors\u2026", "what name to give since all given names are names of oppressors\u2026", "every name\u2026", "the law-installers\u2026", "no names no faces no names\u2026", "don\u2019t say their names", "nonamesthereare", "don\u2019t use", "the same.", "arenamesof", "names", "just say. their names.", "who has the right to imagine\u2026", "there\u2013", "whom?", "who", "they took the machetes and took the\u2013", "with those they dream of\u2013", "machetes and knives and sharpened poles", "are they walking", "write the.", "other.", "not a bad wait, not it\u2019s not a\u2013", "they walk along the\u2013", "and adore that moment of silence before the\u2013", "the silence before the\u2013", "the silence before. the.", "theywalkalong", "justtellthenames", "{here we go}", "silhouette of men pondering. together. actions before.", "{the lights come back on for a few seconds}", "{a slight wait}", "{we do not see this}", "this goes on a few times.", "{lots of screaming}", "commotion", "what kind of language. what experience.", "{there is a pause}", "si comenzamos con uno de ellos\u2026", "{the camera shows this}", "end. they think.", "end.", "this must end", "theywillkill", "yes, they will", "tohellwithit", "butallofasudden", "c\u00f3mo se organizaron.", "that is: key: we must zoom in on this.", "what we know", "they too will kill and rob and maim and burn", "tohellwithitthismust", "what we know\u2026", "{screams}", "whatweknowwe", "the screams\u2026", "lightsgos", "{scream again}", "{silence}", "they scream", "the screams\u2013", "only. the screams. are real\u2026", "the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill.", "the first revolt", "the lights do go back out. the chairs facing different directions. the audience members in different positions. the performer makes sure they stand there.", "a new nightmare. |", "i don\u2019t think so.", "{long scream}", "the fighters of this first revolt: rob and burn and march and steal and kill. yes they do. |", "{the lights are on and the following is said with a quiet despair}", "fjdkfd", "fdfdfd", "this must. end\u2013", "popopo", "fdfdfdfdfd", "this must end.", "the making of the play is a failed making of the play.", ")", "in the eyes of rebels are told. the.", "a pain.ter is what. we need. not\u2013", "scratching yelling ooooohhahahhahh\u2026", "the route was.", "azua\u2026", "well\u2013how many were there?", "there was", "stand a chance. never no. chance\u2026", "how many hanging and walking around\u2013", "but there were twelve of melchior y su banda on their horseback so the legend goes\u2026", "fdaer", "qwotj", "corpses strewn along the riverbanks\u2026", "fkdlaf", "pojjj", "their corpses\u2026", "teratd", "the wounds are with us", "cuts and burns and corpses\u2026 ", "five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks", "fdgbb", "after all\u2026", "qmmbk", "they have the right\u2026", "wh.o has the right. to: the. cry!", "el grito", "qjngg", "mvmdr", "fdavvv", "mfmfmf", "ititit", "five hundred years of corpses of rebels along riverbanks\u2026", "their. eyes.", "what is the\u2013", "is. there a.", "the. question ask.", "as.k the question ask the question.", "sky", "whose frozen howl is that\u2026", "he falls\u2013", "who.", "it is a silence of the.", "hghghg", "his hands", "his feet", "hjjhjjh", "frozen howls", "whose frozen howl is that in the sky", "sky\u2026", "ask. the question:", "in the deep dark sky", "iiiii", "nnnnn", "nnbnbn", "at the end, we, the free men of, will know to", "for all the blank pages of history\u2026", "awaken and rebel\u2026", "we are all players in a millennial drama\u2026", "trtrtr", "whisper\u2026", "fell.", "fell\u2026", "fell\u2013.", "how to deal with the p\u00e1ginas en blanco.", "of the blank pages of history\u2026", "jus.t a little. reference. a cursory. reference.", "put something along the road\u2026", "all the blank pages. of history\u2026", "say it louder!", "repeat and put it larger and larger and fill out the blank pages of history", "bigger and bigger the syllables. the letters.", "dos", "rrrrr", "but:", "how and who?", "tell!!", "hghfh", "hgnnnn", "who said what.", "imagine. it.", "we\u2019ll fill the blank pages of history", "the revolution will not be annal-ized", "the rebellion will not be concretized will not be archived. will not be realized.", "it will not be televised now.", "the rebellion will not exist\u2013!", "blank pages.", "los gritos\u2026", "ahhhhhhh", "voces!", "we can afford it.", "aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh", "in the blank pages", "these are among the only words in the historians\u2019 books. sin lamentos y sin monumentos.", "read on\u2026 read these little bits\u2026 then\u2026", "the blank pages", "read\u2026", "r", "e", "a", "d", "fdafsd", "this", "pages", "read thousands of pages\u2026", "of blank pages", "read la\u2026", "p\u00e1gina en blanco", "fdfdfdfd", "fdfdasdsa", "faertybdf", "las p\u00e1ginas", "en blanco", "nynyny", "tntntn", "right.", "the eradication of p\u00e1ginas en blanco is upon us the eradication of", "we shall eradicate them forevermore!", "ththth", "rtrtrt", "the revolution will be realified!", "de castro!", "ohhhhhhhhhhhh", "In Santo Domingo, Col\u00f3n gathered a small troop of horsemen and foot soldiers and rushed to crush the rebellion. Col\u00f3n ordered his troops, led by de Castro and Francisco D\u00e1vila, to follow and apprehend the rebel slaves while he spent the night along the Nizao river awaiting more help. Twelve horsemen found the rebels about daybreak. They slashed their way through the rebels not once but twice, using Toledo swords against stones, sticks, and dados (\u201clightweight lances\u201d), killing six of the Africans and wounding many others before the rebels broke and ran. De Castro, too, was wounded. Spanish troops retreated to a nearby ingenio belonging to Alonso de Zuazo, where they were joined by Col\u00f3n and more Spanish horsemen. Col\u00f3n sent the troops after the rebels again, this time under the command of Capt. Pedro Ortiz de Matienzo.\u201d", "melchior\u2026", "\u201cThey stopped along the way to gather provisions from the ample storehouses on a cattle ranch owned by Melchior de Castro, who controlled the island\u2019s mining operations. According to later Spanish reports, the rebels killed several Spaniards on their way to de Castro\u2019s; killed another during the raid; took more than a dozen captives, including at least 1 African and 12 Indian slaves; and burned whatever they did not steal.\u201d", "sure\u2026", "whose patria o melchiohhhhhrrrrr\u2026", "or captured them\u2026", "seg\u00fan los libros\u2026", "swords and horses and wounds in the p\u00e1ginas with melchiooohhhhrrrrr", "o yeah", "and then", "of the rebels", "using toledo swords against homemade\u2013", "swords and horseback against\u2013", "easy pickin\u2019 swords against\u2013", "\u201cThey slashed their way through the rebels not once but twice, using Toledo swords against stones, sticks, and dados (\u201clightweight lances\u201d ), killing six of the Africans and wounding many others before the rebels broke and ran. De Castro, too, was wounded.\u201d", "because how\u2013", "cuidado ey!", "in a paragraph or two, in one tiny little section of the books", "wounds", "there is a d.ead reb.el in the field.", "around them the still.ness of s.av.age aftermaths.", "how do: they know, the others, to f.lee", "m.ake the por.trait of the dead r.ebel.", "mi.rando en la dis.tancia\u2026", "en el quin.to. cente.nario", "en el qu.into centenario", "in the d.eep d.ark skies\u2026", "mediums.", "the maroons.", "i want to tell you about benito cereno in particular. melville\u2019s novella, benito cereno.", "this.", "the fate of the foot of x: into law.", "listen\u2026", "the decree after the fact\u2026", "the harshest of punishments\u2026 limiting mobility\u2026 paralyzing mobility\u2026 destroying humanity\u2026 torture and execution\u2026 and\u2026 the cuting off of the foot\u2026", "\u201cThe 1522 laws were not the first to be established by the Spanish colonial authorities of Santo Domingo\u2013the capital and largest urban center of la Espa\u00f1ola\u2013in order to control the colony\u2019s enslaved and overwhelmingly black African population, but they are the earliest ones to have survived.\u201d (\u201cThe Santo Domingo Slave Revolt\u2026\u201d DSI, p. 10.)", "enslavement. punishment. oh yeah\u2026", "and the paleographic transcription of parts\u2026", "the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you!", "que le sea cortado un pie", "the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of all.", "the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you. que le sea cortado un pie : que le sea cortado un pie\u2026", "ererer", "que le sea cortado un pie\u2026", "the fate of the foot of x is the fate of the foot of you.", "popopopo", "fate of all", "ieieieie", "but but: but\u2026", "run glide along the riverbanks dash along the riverbanks and", "run and run and laugh", "run tirelessly along", "from it all!", "ririri", "this is the way to tell it after all.", "is the house of all", "try to save it", "the house that is the house of all", "they were muslims, they say", "the house i see", "not even a rebel", "free", "in the middle of these nameless fields\u2026", "forever more", "the law will not forget\u2026", "names of those who\u2026", "who burned that house", "the names", "rururur", "burn from afar", "in the house", "hear. their. names.", "forevermore\u2026", "must burn", "the cries of the enslaved", "fmmmm", "has been there, forever, burning\u2013", "the deep dark sky", "into the skies", "embers", "embers2", "embers3", "history", "history2", "rbbb", "pzpzpz", "gpgpgp", "circling into the sky", "ugugu", "they\u2019ve known what\u2019s coming!", "thhh", "and look to the clouds up above.", "centuries they\u2019ve known what\u2019s coming!", "iguanas\u2026", "they know what\u2019s coming they know what\u2019s coming for decades and decades and centuries they\u2019ve known what\u2019s coming!", "what\u2019s coming", "jhjhjh", "because they. all. know. what\u2019s. coming.", "the animals and their\u2013", "los \u00e1rboles tambi\u00e9n, est\u00e1n llorando.", "papap", "pfpgpgdp", "that is the only thing we should do. say not the right names say we will change all the names say not the right names not the right names nottherightnames\u2026", "they had other names other names other names", "\u00bfestos territorios no ten\u00edan nombres?", "nadie", "othernames they had these territories had other names\u2013!", "they had other names they had other names", "\u2026 not the right names no not the right names", "they fought for the right names these are not\u2026", "we\u2019re gonna change them", "change the names change them change them change", "we\u2019re gonna change all the names!", "ffffffff", "we\u2019re gonna change all the names we\u2019re gonna change all the names", "not the right names not the right names not the right names!!", "othernames they had these territories had other names", "change all the names chaaaaaange all the names\u2026", "pfdsa", "tttt", "los cuerpos", "have been mutilated.", "y del r\u00ed.o", "they will not forget\u2026", "the mutilation of souls\u2026", "c.uts and bru.ises and wounds\u2026", "and even the wounds, mutilated\u2026", "the souls\u2026", "yes they did\u2026", "los cu.erp.os", "they\u2019ve all been mutilated\u2013", "souls.", "soul.s", "in th.eir s.kin and th.eir bl.ood and their sou.ls", "all mutilated", "all mu.tila.ted\u2026", "and we: re.membe.r: them\u2026", "des.pair\u2013", "ggggg", "g.oes\u2026", "los rebeldes", "pqqq", "that\u2019s the only way to tell it all\u2026", "destroy", "there was no saving me\u2026", "victim of the illusions and the lies\u2026", "te entiendo\u2026", "e imagino\u2026", "his eyes", "ggaa", "who would have thought that they would dare", "never thought they would have the", "death", "that it was not worse", "put an end to\u2013", "than they had thought", "tttttt", "that is my only lament\u2026", "the assassins always will be right\u2013", "how did they frame their action, i wonder\u2026", "and how.", "hhhfffddd", "pppwewwfff", "that we need\u2013", "that cannot find the words\u2026", "without words\u2026", "the man who killed him", "how dared he\u2026", "total cruelty\u2026", "all details included\u2026", "yannn", "if only i had been there\u2026", "yyaashff", "i\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s happened since", "there are five hundred years of corpses of rebels", "all the corpses along riverbanks\u2026", "lack of laments!", "i decree that there shall be no lamentations\u2026", "if the lies are reversed.", "i decree: that there will be no laments.", "my son.", "my son\u2013", "son.", "faaaaaa", "and the stories forever told\u2026", "the fate of the foot\u2013", "our own absences", "and the isle of scars", "the ways they fall", "across the countries and planets and galaxies and universes", "howling into the sky", "hhjjfff", "the book of sighs", "took a moment to\u2013", "the erasure", "qqqwwweee", "the erasure\u2013", "into the forever skies", "gggpppooo", "lllaaappp", "aaalllsss", "qqqpppsss", "gggkkksss", "eeetttrrr", "gggpppwww", "how things unfold ", "of", "unfold\u2026", "the types of humans", "give in", "early on rebelled\u2026", "their struggles\u2026", "gggooorrr", "wwwtttnnn", "probably not\u2013", "we n.eed", "auses\u2026", "long pauses\u2026", "not to meditate\u2013don\u2019t meditate\u2026", "not to. relax\u2026", "s.ee\u2026", "and h.ear\u2026", "that unfolding", "not frantically or", "fast or", "on the ground", "a.cross", "blood\u2026", "\u2026 all. the. everythings\u2026", "not \u2026 ", "tell of", "nnnfff", "forgotten lines", "who. would.", "the first dead. rebel.", "many\u2026 others.", "i am the first to be: mar.tyred.", "whining: like all c.owards do", "rrrrrr", "on this land.", "diego, i summon you to a duel\u2013you must say.", "fdweee", "that is where it started.", "and then there is only the dark", "waiting for you diego", "appear\u2013if you dare!", "yuyuyu", "the name you use", "hohohoho", "merchandise.", "or under another type of shade\u2013", "the dawn of the day when in 1521, the band of slaves rebelled\u2026", "and stands before me.", "fjuti", "he says, se\u00f1or\u2026", "wowowowo", "no me caes bien, dice \u00e9l.", "and here we go\u2026", "and then the swords\u2026", "yuyuyuyy", "either.", "instead pretending to be cool and asking questions.", "eojngdd", "durnesd", "we will take your house and keep it and have you hanging at the entrance, alive, to be flagellated by all the peoples of the world\u2026", "forever alive you, at the center of all these pieces of you around you.", "lo quieras o no, somos su historia y su diversi\u00f3n\u2026", "tnduwid", "all that, but perhaps also a simple staredown, centuries on\u2026", "ownvnnnbbb", "i take off also, smooth and fast: take off also\u2026", "in pursuit, across the terrain across the centuries\u2026", "i in turn laughing at his\u2026 hubris!", "then, fatigued, pops back up\u2026", "ososososs", "and it\u2019s all over\u2013army or not.", "uytrijdc", "i yell\u2013i got you by the balls, and i\u2019m not letting go\u2013!", "nada m\u00e1s que decir\u2026", "or his daddy", "jjjjfff", "i have won", "that bears his name", "gggdddttt", "ppeejjddii", "with the slashings of my sword.", "ggffghgff", "oorrhjjffuu", "fjjiiuudd", "la fin d\u2019all\u2026", "that\u2019s the way to tell it the only way to tell it just tell of the laughing doll, the end all of all, the laughing doll, the end of all\u2026 lafin\u2019 d\u2019all\u2026 just do that: tell of: lafin\u2019 d\u2019all\u2026", "is all\u2026", "ffdjijfijij", "lflflflflf", "ooffffiii", "fjfjdiduud", "jfjfdjaisd", "oidrjdajsdr", "eieieieieieieio", "say it\u2026", "ghrtrres", "dkdruieur", "the end all of all\u2026", "fdaseeerr", "rreessddrr", "dordhhhd", "fdsddddddd", "dkresss", "dduurrewwwss", "driiidididi", "again", "and:", "hhddrreerr", "ddooeeiirr", "ppqqoowwiiee", "for weeping", "the waves of time itself", "until diego decided: to show up\u2013", "fdfdreeiir", "roeridmfrdm", "the distiller of woes", "rruueeiiwwoo", "the rebels of this and other lands", "from the top of the old monuments", "fuck me", "reiuwusuere", "ruehfbgbhf", "and again", "revolts", "eueueueueue", "of silences", "doiresiee", "eeeiirrjjdd", "flflfldkdkdkjsjs", "hhdduurriieeoopp", "fjiiueeeeiirorororo", "ruewisjadkalsdknfgdkur", "rrrrtttt", "gfiiiififififi", "djreidreurded", "reeeeeeee", "fkfkfkfkfkf", "eeerrrgggfff", "fkfkfkfeoeoeo", "rriefnvv", "eeoroeoeoeoeo", "ppppppplllll", "bbbbbbnnn", "dddvbvvbbv", "wpwpfkkf", "fnnfnnnnnn", "eeeeeeeeeeee", "eeeeeririifjfj", "nnnvvdfff", "gggggnn", "and all the years after that\u2026", "ffdkiieeee", "the archives of silences:", "this reckoning", "of the 500th anniversary of the first revolt.", "rrreeetttyyy", "the museum of silences", "the 500th year of the revolt", "goiansdrasd", "yyccdd", "we will make\u2026", "aboard ships", "ffydydydy", "dfdasdudududud", "oooppee", "rrreererere", "eeeeoeoeoeoe", "eiurieure", "alskdjfhfghg", "pqkdffhjnb", "aslkdvmnc", "fdasdfergmmb", "fdasnvbrut", "dfamnnbnbnb", "thththththff", "fdasnbnbnbnbnb", "nvbraohjh", "bnvmfjkriou", "vbnbnfjfjrru", "gjgjgjgjgjg", "nbnbnbnbnbnbn", "bmkfuerd", "isisisisisisisis", "mbmbmbmbmbmb", "nbhgyjf", "nnnbnbnb", "hhghghghgh", "bnghurjfkd", "fdnbbuuuuu", "qpqplslskdkdfjjf", "asdfjkj", "owoweiei", "eijfnvfhj", "bnbnhghgriri", "mbmmb", "by the", "all lie: in their blood and", "down\u2026", "lkjfdsss", "hey\u2013!", "fdsttttt", "poaskkkd", "hhhiiirrr", "hey!", "again.", "ffiidd", "falling\u2026", "ffffffffffff", "ienvs", "fall\u2026", "yiwnnff", "fall!", "falls!", "tjanse", "wenngg", "that way\u2026", "twtwtwtw", "let the ghosts rise always let the ghosts rise\u2026", "dassss", "let the ghosts wander let the ghosts rise\u2026", "ptmggg", "attack.ed back.", "fdfaeee", "write.", "the way to tell it. is.", "in 15twenty\u2013", "\u2014 \u2026", "\u2014 in 15twenty\u2013", "so little information", "an an.at.omy", "go\u2026", "into worlds\u2013"]>> <<set $array to ['now you go and now you’ve gone and now–','you’ve seen and now–','','(','','no fuiste…','no fuiste so many times…','tú ibas a ir…','a drive along…','drive along the road and drive far along the road and','… look at the sites you don’t go to','no fuiste','otra vez delayed','…','one more time','delayed','because…','no chance to see yet…','who walked where–y por qué caminaron por aquí','no chance to see yet, what the path would have been–','todavia the same vegetation, the same rock formations…','centuries later, we can imagine the path, because geological formations last so much longer than us all…','quién, quién eres tú…','para darte el derecho de ir, to drive and…','quién, quién eres tú…',')','','now you’ve gone and now–','you’ve seen and now–','the fragments and the scenes and–','the drive… the remembrance road trip…','','and the wounds…','and the howls…','in that deep, dark, sky…','','*','','we have to go, all day…','','all day and then at night 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miedo','','miedo de qué','','no sé','','tal vez tú tienes miedo de lo que descubrirás','','o tal vez, de lo que no descubrirás…','','(','','','( de qué tienes miedo…','','de qué me pregunten, por qué tú. por qué tú, allá, así…','','o tal vez, tú tienes miedo de hacerte la pregunta: qué hago aquí, tan lejos, de mi mundo','','de donde nací','','de donde vengo–','…)','','tal vez tengo miedo… que me pregunten qué locura estoy haciendo, instead of just hanging out at the beach…','','…','','… )','','tal vez, tal vez no tengo miedo…','o tengo miedo que… nada nunca es nada…','la vida es toda una banalidad…','','los hombres se rebelan–y nada pasa…','','los hombres se escapan–y los recuperan, y les cortan los pies…','','los hombres pelean… y se van a las montañas… y nada…','','tal vez, nada importa–ni la crueldad, ni la violencia, ni las matanzas…','','tal vez, tengo miedo…','','que nada importa…','','y que a nadie le importa tampoco…','','tal vez','','por eso…','','','(estoy cansado también… cansado, de tanto dolor…)','','*','','tuve un sueño anoche que me iba,','solo,','por la carretera–','ahí','aparecieron fantasmas, a cada lado de la ruta…','','','startled i would point them out,','but no one was seeing them and everyone was telling me to come down','no, no, it’s not a delusion, they’re right there','','right there right there','','but nobody saw them and they hunkered down and tried to hold me down','','a cada lado','','and the ghost as everyone told me to calm down and simmer down, still looked and laughed and said, no one else can see us don’t you get it','nadie nos puede ver','solo los que nos quieren ver','solo los que nos lleven en su mente','solo ellos…','solo tú…','','and with those words i came down and all along the carretera, i saw the ghosts rising and rising and','rising and we winked and nodded and they would appear and vanish as the car careened down the road…','','and i smiled','','and i smiled again','','and yes–they hugged me','they hugged me and','we all smiled and danced','','all along the road','','all along the road','','on the remembrance drive…','','*','','(','es que…','esta zona','','tú la conoces muy bien…','','you’ve written it…','','you’ve imagined it, dreamt it, thought it… la zona…','','everything around la zona, including this episode, with your confrontation with diego…','','ahí, solos, en la noche, tú y… diego–','','la zona–como lo has escrito… como lo has imaginado…','','esta ruta, sale de la zona','esta ruta, vive en la zona','esa ruta, está en las lágrimas de la zona','y también en el aire de la zona','en estas calles','en estas piedras','en estas visiones','en estos muros','en estos retratos…','','todo… here…','','','yes: this route','this road goes out of the zona','lives in the zona','is in the heart of the zona','and also in the air','in these streets','in these rocks','in these visions','in these portraits','','the zona is the point zero','the zona is the point of departure…','','maybe it’s there that the howl, the first howl, rises…','','*','','…','why not imagine it all','…','no drive and no remembrance road trip and no–','…','the people. the cars. the convos. the motorcycles…','yea–it matters so little.','…','the whole thing–','so forgotten…','because never even acknowledged–right…','…','…','maybe you should ask why you even care. whether it’s worth going.','…','para qué.','por qué…','','','(','nadie va a saber nada.','','nobody cares.','','a nadie le importa nada.','','( nobody will care.','','nobody anywhere will care at all. )','','','imagine them all.','','imagine the people. the crossings. the paths. the roads.','','quédate and travel in absence…','','stay, in this distance… in this space far away from it all…','',')','','*','','and if i were there, this fragment','and if i were there, that fragment','this fragment','that fragment','chatting with people asking them if they know that along his road, five hundred years ago, the first revolt–','','preguntando si saben lo que aquí 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caminantes','','en las calles','los caminos y','los que venden','sus platanitos','','en las calles','los chivos','','en las calles','no sign','of what happened','here','so so long ago…','','(','','(','','just like','los pasajes de antes','','los viajes de antes','','cuando yo tampoco sabía','','(cuando yo','caminaba','como si nada )','','cuando yo tampoco','sabía','lo que había pasado','aquí','hace quinientos años…','','(the corpses along riverbanks…','','the wounds… the wounds in all the fields–','','and the howls in the deep dark skies…)','','','','',')','','',')','','*','','don’t worry.','don’t hurry.','','we walk.','get out and talk.','','slowly.','we speak.','','to the citizens of now.','to the ghosts of then.','','of five hundred years','along riverbanks.','','fragments of a remembrance road trip.','','fragments of a remembrance drive.','','how they don’t talk about it.','','how they don’t talk about the rebels here.','','they don’t talk about the rebels here, i ask, over and 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place','in the field…','','no fear','','no hesitation…','','( as if','they would ask you','','why','','why you–','','and why do you care','','why don’t you just forget','','like everyone else','','quién eres tú… the question…',')','','the research: in the field','the research–is just a search','just a meditative road trip','a weird kind of trip… )','','*','','poco a poco','olvidarás.','','olvidarás, tú también.','','(you’ll forget how you wanted to find the route','how you wanted to hear the sounds','','how you wanted to walk in the same spaces… )','','poco a poco','olvidarás.','','que un dia te importaba','cómo actuaron','los que no podían más.','','y como ahora','se van','cuando no pueden más.','','poco a poco','olvidarás.','','poco a poco','olvidarás','que tenías miedo.','','','','y poco a poco','olvidarás','que un dia','olvidaste–','','*','','i await','','with anticipation','that i’ve built','','how it will be','to finally walk','or drive','or–','','along this route','','along these roads','','on these fields','','i wait still…','','*','','espera…','','espera.','','todo se arregla','espera','','con paciencia','','y tranquilidad…','','*','','','y el aire…','el mismo.','','y el azul del cielo…','el mismo.','','y el verde de los árboles…','el mismo.','','y la música de la lluvia…','la misma.','','y el deseo de libertad…','el mismo','','y la luz del sol','la misma…','','*','','i’m not a fool.','i will not be fooled.','i will not fool myself.','','but i go.','must walk.','must drive.','must go along that route.','','must see along that path.','','must imagine that path.','','along that path…','','along that path…','','not a fool.','but i must see…','i must feel…','that path…','','*','','(','','(','','(','','rest easy–','the ghosts will await you:','the ghosts are going nowhere:','the ghosts are going nowhere…','',')',')','',')','','*','','…','','…','','…','…','i imagine the conversations…','…','i imagine the solitary walk…','…','','…','…','','i imagine the meditations–','…','i imagine the desire to unearth…','…','i imagine the debates…','…','i imagine the disagreements even…','…','','…','…','','i imagine the meditations…','…','i imagine the desire to dig… dig dig…','…','','…','…','','i know i will look at the sky…','…','i know i will interrogate the universe…','…','i know i will shout and scream…','…','hey you, you, do you know what went down here, so many centuries ago…','…','','…','…','','hey you','do you know','what went down here','so many years ago','','…','i know i will walk','…','i know i will walk along these roads…','…','i do–','…','i do walk along these roads and these fields…','…','on this remembrance drive…','…','this remembrance road trip…','…','fragments of hallucinations…','…','fragments soon to be abandoned to the winds…','','*','','but later is now','because forever is always now','and the ghosts can wait','and the corpses still are strewn','and the paths are still there','','(and your spirit','and your desire','and your knowledge','and… )','','and thus and so…','','*','','the wait.','the imagined wait.','the wait.','the desired wait.','the wait.','is not a problem.','the wait.','is not an issue.','the wait.','will only make everything','more poignant.','the wait has passed.','','(imagino conversaciones.','imagino descripciones.','imagino meditaciones.','imagino circulaciones.','imagino navigaciones.','de emociones.','de pensamientos.','de deseos.','','','(imagino','silencios.','silencios.','eternos.','silencios eternos.)','',')','','*','','¡cuántos fragmentos!','','how many fragments from before–','','how many fragments do we need–','','how many fragments do we write…','','how many fragments for you on these fields and on this road…','','these fragments need to cease…','','what for, these fragments…','','y cuando llegas–','','ahí comienza…','','tu diálogo','','with the ghosts of long ago','','still hovering','','still hovering…','','with the river and the sky and the clouds and the fields…','','still remembering…','','on this drive–','','on this drive…','','*','','what other entries can you concoct…','…','what’s the ultimate entry…','…','','…','','…','','','what other fragment–','…','what other conversation…','…','what other description…','…','','…','','…','','there is so little…','…','so little along the riverbanks…','…','no one knows and no one cares and–','','…','','…','','…','…','the howls in the sky…','the wounds… the wounds in the earth…','…','…','what else can you imagine…','who else can you talk to…','','','…','','…','','…','…','qué más…','…','qué más…','…','qué–','…','…','…','más…','','…','','…','','*','','there is no path to nizao','nizao does not exist','','there is no path along the river','nizao does not exist','','aquí no hay','','aquí no hay','','nada','','there is no nizao','','there was no revolt','','there is nothing to walk or navigate or','','there is nothing.','','*','','i am here','','estoy','aquí','','(no','todavía','no.)','','i am here','','estoy aquí','','(no.','todavía no.)','','i am','','i am here','','i walk along this riverbank','','i drive along this road','','i imagine','','i connect','','i see','','i feel','','i sense','','or–is this all just another hallucination…','','*','','…','i walk along these grounds.','…','i have come to this place and i walk along these grounds.','…','i walk the route.','…','along the river.','…','along the same river.','…','…','','… … …','','there are now churches.','there are now stores.','there are now all the trappings of our lives…','…','…','','… … …','','a church…','','ask, all the time… are we even sure, this is where it happened…','…','today: ask: señor, did you know that…','go ahead and dig…','','quienes eran estos hombres','…','aquí, en este terreno…','…','de quién es este terreno anyway…','','… … …','','','on this ground that now you hope to render–','on this land in this place…','that you are hoping to…','','','five hundred years ago','','(','portraits of sites','the imagined sites','this too is imagined','dig','','then:','','(from one side of the room a shout)','here:','','from another, a shout (here)','','they were tilling the field','from all accounts','from what you can find','','they are now tilling the field','',')','','h.e.r.e.','','on this ground','that you','now hope','to','somehow tell all about…','on this land in this place','that you are hoping to','forget, too, like everyone else…','','i will tell the story of the rebellion','and of the undead rebels','','we will make','a monument','a monument to the unknown rebel','at the tomb of the unknown rebel.','','*','','(','','los ciudadanos de nizao no conocen la historia de la rebelión','','los niños de nizao no han oído de la primera rebelión','','(in 1521, there was a revolt… )','','','','(quiero gritar. quiero sentarme en el centro de la plaza y gritar. )','','(','gritar todo el tiempo. quiero caminar y gritar. quiero caminar por donde caminaron y gritar. hombres de nizao, escúchenme: hace quinientos años…)','',')','','*','','stop.','stop.','in due time.','relax.','be patient.','in due time.','stop.','in due time.','in due time…','','','[THE TRIP STARTS HERE]','','','*','','before sunrise–','but where to exactly.','where are we going…','','(there are no maps.','are we making the maps? as we go…)','','in all the texts, there’s mention only of the intention of going to azua. but it seems they never made it there. around nizao, they’re caught up. and that’s it.','so we’ll go. think. talk…','','where was diego’s plantation–maybe others know.','the plantations.','(i’m probably guilty of not having done enough research, probably. or contacted experts.','we’re just going in the car, in that direction.)','','not the route, there is no route. no exact route.','','and maybe that’s for the best. otherwise, it’s just a pilgrimage.','','this is not a pilgrimage. not even an attempt at starting one.','','what is it then. why the need, this itch, to imagine where these rebels walked.','how they went.','why.','','(after all, does this not occur every day…)','','*','','what are the questions?','who do we ask, did you know that hace 500 años por aquí, a bunch of souls rebelled.','did you know that the cavalry came and did you know that a band of rebels were put down…','ask: and see…','ask.','','(but ask the clouds too.','ask the sky too.','ask the road, that did not exist then but the road, under the road, the path.','ask the field, la tierra…)','','','','(','(just like the theory of the written piece is inside the piece, the map of this venture is traced through the venture.)','','(the map, the itinerary, the reason for being of the itinerary–the impetus for the thing–is within the writing.)','',')','','not a pilgrimage. not a predetermined path.','not a trail.','not a historical trail.','tracing the possible trail.','tracing in a parallel way. an approximate, tracing.','that is all we can do.','given the urgency','given the necessity','an approximate, parallel, tracing of the trail.','that’s what we can do…','','*','','tracking a parallel trail–','theory of mapping when you have no information.','charting a path that you don’t know.','a parallel path.','the parallel path to an exact path.','parallel figuratively. atmospheric approximate pathing.','the parallel path is not an exact path.','maybe not even a path.','','five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks… that is what we know…','','(how dare they? they dared, chris, they dared…)','','the map of wounds, the map of howls, the map of sighs and falls… that is the map we need to make…','','*','','(in the car with j. he tries to help me out. tells me about this guy. tells me his first name. i forget his last name. i tell him this isn’t about accuracy. or about absolute finding of the right path. just approximate. see how it could have been…)','','(talk of san cristóbal. just getting there. the highway.)','','in san cristóbal.','statue of colón.','the sounds of the motorcycles.','the roar of the motorcycles.','the park.','the roar of the bikes is a part of the landscape.','the river.','where was the river.','parque central colón.','how ironic.','','the river','was this the river.','along this river.','how it could have been…','','by the river with a man outside his home that we’ve come upon…','','el río. va hasta nizao?','claro he says.','and the name?','…','…','','he doesn’t know…','','plantation of diego colón.','en san cristóbal.','would you know where that is…','','almost like a foreign question. like, what the hell…','','we keep talking about other things and not the rebels.','','*','','repeat:','we’re by a river. in san cristóbal.','we drive deep into a field.','trees. little casita.','feels ancient. strangely. unperturbed.','animals. chickens.','horses.','cows.','a man exits.','saludos.','we approach as we look from above the river.','','…','…','¿cómo se llama este río?, we ask.','','he doesn’t know the name.','','pero lo llamamos–and he says a name…','¿y este río va hasta nizao?','claro, sí. claro.','…','…','…','el agua, he starts saying, keeps flowing.','¿y usted sabe en dónde estaba la plantación de diego colón?','','he smiles and we see he’s got no teeth–just one pointy one on each side.','','eso lo estudian los niños en la escuela, he laughs. to’ esa vaina.','','he laughs again.','','¿pero usted no? (we smile.)','','the image of don diego’s small little room is still with me.','along this river they went?','i think it was this river.','maybe no so far. somewhere to the right or left of where we stand from above peering at this river still flowing.','the water how it still flows and as if nothing.','the water: does it remember–or does it simply flow–and flow…','the water, the flow of the river.','the river, in the midst of the madness of the humans, flows through it all.','','','(the river remembers.','the clouds remember.','all you have to do is dig and–','the river remembers and the clouds remember and–','five hundred years… of corpses along riverbanks…)','','(how diego came to the ‘rescue’ for the crown…','(melchior… y su banda)',')','','…','usted tiene muchos animales, i come out of my little reverie','si, he says, the chicken, the cows. tengo unas vacas ahí…','…','…','¿y ese edificio allá?','','i point to the big white building on the hill far away. through the foliage of the trees, in the distance.','con la bandera.','…','ese de trujillo, he says.','¿trujillo?','sí, he says, something to do with trujillo.','','when we’re leaving he asks if we want to go to the back.','but he thinks we’re here to help with the garbage or something. civil servants perhaps.','','…','estos animales hacen todo un concierto, i laugh. toda una música.','','it was true. the incredible sounds of nature so far away from me.','and he laughs and says in his way that that is indeed the case.','','i asked, one last time before we left, just to make sure:.','¿usted está seguro que este río va hasta nizao?','sí claro, he repeats. hasta nizao…','','*','','it all seems so banal. the directive.','the directions.','the rebels. go along the river.','nizao. hard to reach.','far.','now a highway but not long ago, no road or highway at all.','nothing but the forests and the trees and the riverbanks.','the burden of history and the weight of history.','','que vaina, like the man said.','that stuff, that vaina, the kids study in school, he’d said.','but i wanted to tell him that no, the kids don’t study that in school either.','they don’t study that in school at all.','but i didn’t.','i didn’t tell him. that it’s another vaina that they teach them in school.','worse vaina. the vaina of the conquerors is what they teach them in schools.','','(500 years of corpses along riverbanks…','','and all the blank pages…','','all the blank pages that we will eradicate…','','all the blank pages that we will eradicate…','','(all the blank pages of history…','','all the blank pages of history that we will eradicate…)','',')','','*','','nizao.','here.','now.','such a little town.','same as all the other little towns.','the small colorful houses.','the motorcycles.','the roads of motorcycles and–','','as we drive on the main street, we ask where the central plaza is.','derechito, says a man.','it’s always derechito.','always the main road leading into a town leads to the main plaza, where lots of folks are finding refuge under the shades.','the cream-colored center monument. the little gates.','inevitably, a statue of colón, or of duarte, or of a hero of the patria that came from this town, has been erected in this central plaza.','inevitably, another monument has also been erected, to something related to that town’s contribution to the struggles.','all cool.','inevitably also, the older citizens hanging out, chilling, chatting…','younger man also kind of out of it, sprawled on the ground, asleep, it seems…','on the side of the road, a group of goats guided by some dude, with someone else at the back.','i start photographing and a woman seated on a chair outside a little house by which the goats go as we drive past laughingly shouts: llévate uno!','','*','','we’re at the river in nizao.','el río sí se acuerda.','el cielo, azul, sí sabe.','los árboles sí saben.','i can feel it. the river and the sky and the clouds know.','they know. and they are happy to see us.','at last, i can feel them expressing themselves.','at last, you are here.','at last, someone.','they know. they remember. i know it.','they know…','','a man is setting up the chairs around the tables.','there’s going to be parties and river-bathing later on today. lots of stations. lots of spots.','','i ask him if people talk about the rebels of 500 years ago around here.','if there’s a monument or something about them.','','aquí no hablan de los rebeldes, he says.','¿de colón? i ask.','aquí no, he says, en la capital. (as if to say that here, they don’t talk about columbus even, and certainly not about the rebels.)','…','aquí solo se habla de trujillo, balaguer, bosch–he laughs.','','wow, i think, still those folks, still they talk about those folks around these parts.','','he goes and comes back with more chairs he’s setting up.','for the bathing fun that’s happening later.','no hablan de colón even.','no, he seems to be hinting.','as he goes back and forth, little words and little themes.','and then:','','colón era un tigre, he laughs.','that’s right, i say.','fre’co, he adds.','','using the contemporary language to refer to columbus.','and… he’s right on. that’s exactly what he was: un tigre. fresco. as in: totally out to get shit… take stuff…','','sí, eso sí, we say. y ladrón…','…','tigre y ladrón, i repeat.','fre’co–he concludes laughing as he goes back and forth.','','*','','our monument','carved on a white rock:','','monumento a los rebeldes','de 1521','','and we put the date:','','8/20/22','','economy of words because it’s hard to carve.','place the rock so it’s visible, by the river, atop other rocks.','how long will it stand? i wonder.','but i see and sense the happiness of the water. the river. the sky. the clouds.','the ghosts.','at last, i hear them sigh–at last…','','(the ghosts know.','all the ones who fell, they know','all the ones who fell, they know…)','','(will anyone be curious to see what the monument is all about.','will anyone…','how long will the monument stand…','how long do monuments stand…)','','all the monuments','all the monuments','y lo nuestro','el chicito','the small monument','here, by the río nizao','this is where our monument stands.','','the monument to that quick revolt…','carved with a stone into a stone…','and left by the side of the river…','','*','','on the way to azua…','which they never reached, according to my readings.','they’d wanted to go to azua to get other folks from other plantations to rise up.','(i can see how the other plantations would be along these roads…)','','(when you drive with someone, you talk to them about their lives and their troubles too, their issues and families and all, not just this. but we relate all this to the trek at hand…)','','(on the way to azua, i’m thinking, this is what they did, this is where they went…','but they were caught.','melchior, y su banda…','caught up to them.','and then the battle.','the night of…','what makes myth.','what is real…)','','el río–','i heard el río–','el río talking to me–','the beautiful little movement of the waves en el río…','','the way to azua–','the highway…','the places they did not reveal…','the muchachos hanging out…','the motorcycles on the highways…','','and suddenly. on the side of the highway, a naked man appears, with a shirt on.','mira el loco, dice j.','was he naked, i ask.','yeah, he says, i saw his dick.','i did too–just couldn’t believe… wanted to make sure…','','mountains to the south…','and it’s hot.','extremely hot.','mid 90s. people under whatever shade they can find.','but also, the guys selling peanuts on the street.','as soon as a car needs to slow down the guys come to you.','','(','','(how we could know.','how little we know.','this place and how they did not get to','go far. )','','which plantation.','','this is what they wanted to get to.','this is where they wanted to get to. )','','en el parque, we ask: ¿dónde hay más monumentos? pretending that we knew there was another park.','ahí abajo, says a man, but it’s under construction, por eso that everyone’s here… under the trees.','with enriquillo not far.','','','around now for hours.','no signs.','nothing of note as a monument or memory. no notes. no plaques.','','but worse','not even existing.','','they don’t exist.','they never existed.','(no one knows.','but the sky,','the trees…)','','no monuments and no plaques because the event never even registered in any way…','','colón. duarte.','that’s pretty much the duo.','no one in between…','','(','j says, hey, you think when they were walking around they were like us, asking,','hey, where’s the next plantation, and people answering,','p’abajo. p’abajo.','','(funny, and right on, given the heat and the fatigue and the overall lack of any connection to this event for anyone…','we have an easy laugh about it. )',')','','around us: all in the contemporary sense is the same:','little shops; reggaeton; same music as everywhere.','the trucks; the smoke.','the small roads and the cars needing to maneuver.','jeepetas now.','','(totally forgotten, i keep thinking but is that so wrong.','never acknowledged. never named. never existed.','(','like so many others.','like so many others.',')','','(the victims.','the losers of history…)','','although in their anonymity, did they not win.','without names yet with all the power that came with others emulating them…)','','azua park: last destination.','the approximate trek was on the highway and we made a few stops along the way but not much happened.','besides, what was it:','a remembrance drive?','a way of connecting.','a way of–','there are no paths.','no signs.','no plaques.','azua: the town not reached.','azua: the dream deferred.','azua: the park not seen.','because: melchior y su banda…','because: diego and his guns…','','*','','sí, eso sí, y ladrón–that’s what I’d said…','and the others?','all of them of course…','and who knows about this?','…','…','so so few people…','quién sabe de eso… nadie','…','…','the 500 years…','páginas en blanco…','páginas en blanco for sure…','…','this place now just a place to vacation or retire…','now now, i say, chill…','','','where to eat. where to go. when does this stop?','','imagining 500 years ago with no object or monument or words…','','remembrance drive.','','(at least we built the type of monument deserved.','temporary.','(ephemeral.)','(by the river.)','(carved onto a stone)','… )','','this: inventing the trace','not retracing:','inventing the trace…','to the question i kept posing to myself ‘what are we doing anyway’, i say:','inventing connections–','inventing a way…','','remembrance drive…','remembrance map…','remembrance roading.','','(','parked in azua. extreme heat.','thinking the thoughts above, wondering what else.','sitting and in my own zone..','along the way, we made a make-shift temporary monument…',')','','a remembrance drive.','remembrance roading…','couldn’t be a pilgrimage.','a type of action-mapping or making.','historical exactitude? not worried about it… there’s no way for me to make it happen…','','all we know: in 1521 a band of rebels rose.','and we went close to those places. thought we might get close.','that’s what we wanted.','','','there’s not much to find or prove…','','(but the blank pages, we can try to fill','','las páginas en blanco.','','those we can eradicate…','','eradicate the blank pages of history…)','','(there’s nothing','always nothing in the books…','','there’s nothing','always nothing in the books… )','','…','…','i’m sure there’s a lot of people who’ve been forgotten in the same way.','there should be a thing called “heroes dominicanos olvidados”.','…','…','but i don’t know if they’re dominican heroes. that’s the thing.','…','but maybe…','…','maybe they are.','…','…','','*','','(','about the fate of the foot, j says:','technically that’s what happens when you migrate. legally. they take one foot away.','how?','because you can’t go back.','…','legs cut off they can’t come back.','…','…','although they do it voluntarily…','…','although you could argue that they do it voluntarily because economic conditions don’t allow them to not do it.','yeah.','…','…','of course…','…','in a way, that law has been applied to the migrants. one. foot. cut. off…','','','(','aquí','','también','','','how impossible it all is','','how.','','who were they…','','they went along','','and then they fell','','how did they fall','','(whose howl rises','in that deep dark sky…)','',')','',')','','*','','in azua park, i ask a guy: ¿hay otro monumento por aquí?','hay otro–and he points to the other park.','pero no de los rebeldes i say, leading him on–más contemporáneo me imagino.','sí, más contemporáneo he says.','','(','no actual signs en azua.','no signs anywhere.','the music blaring.','motorcycle roars.','the low houses.','the colorful houses.','','(what if they had made it to azua…','what if they had…','what would have happened…','what would have been different.','','(park','construction','busts of heroes.)','',')','',')','','*','','the mountains of azua–','the bay in azua–','the green and the blue–','the green and the blue that float….','the little water things on hills…','rain drains…','hard to find words.','','(howls in the skies…','wounds in the skies…','how they fall…)','','like i thought: totally forgotten. never known. beyond forgotten…','','enriquillo in azua.','why this scale.','why this gaze.','why this posture.','','(while i was taking pictures of the enriquillo statue from behind, the driver of a truck as he drove by shouts laughing:','cuidado que te va a tira’ un peo.','good one, i think, good one…)','','on the side of the road, a one-legged man sprawled sitting on his butt looks up as the cars drive by.','','*','','upon exit from azua and on the road, a purchase of nuts.','then i ask the nutseller at the window if he knows of monuments to the rebels.','if people talk about the rebels of hace quinientos años.','','sí hablan de eso, he lies','¿hablan de eso?','…','¿qué has oído?','','he stammers.','switches tone.','he knows he was just lying and now just flubs things and tries to get out of my annoying pushiness.','','…','…','no sé, he says, de esa vaina rara.','','vaina rara i think. great expression…','and he’s freed himself and goes.','','(homes on a hill–','and the littlest one at the top.','after a stop in bani for water','col. heidy superfria, the name of the bodega…','','(along the path, on a highway…','where is closure…','do you have closure…','do you need closure…','i ask myself…','but i know the answer… you do not. no closure on this one… there is no closure, because the closure happened so long ago… besides, closure is overrated…','','(i wonder if we go back to nizao, on way back from azua, to check in on our monument','…','…','do you want to go back and see?','no, i say, i actually don’t.','','(another convo begins again.','you think they were talking or they were quiet and determined.','…','when they were making their way…','…','…','i don’t know… i wish i knew.','…','…','…','they were probably around here. this is the part they did make…','exactly…','but by the river, no plaque in their memory. no monuments. they’re thought of as murderers. thieves.','…','…','what did they eat, what do you think…','i think they were worried. that if word got out…','…','word did get out…','…','word did get out…','…','… if you think about it a little…','…','word got out… word got out… and that’s why the venture was all stopped. dead in its tracks…','',')',')','',')',')','','long pause…','remembrance drive…','remembrance roading…','','are we past san cristóbal… the question–and then the thoughts thrown out… into the air…','they were smart at some level. they knew the system. they knew people were gonna be gathered.','that means it was premeditated…','there were nights when they got together. messaged each other.','messaged each other. that’s right.','they went out in the dark. they were allowed i think. that’s how it must have gone… they dared (chris), they dared…','plan an attack…','they made arms','homemade. sharpened poles…','machetes…','(but when the enemies come with guns and horses…)','and the leader. who was the leader…','that’s what i was asking also','who the leader was…','','i was always curious…','when was that boiling point? if i do this, all the time–meaning poking someone all the time, where’s the boiling point.','what was the motive? they were just tired? it wasn’t fair?','i think being sick of being effin’ enslaved…','','even though the categories are different. even though consciousness is different.','','not in these words or in this language but somehow, there’s a sense, we’re not their servants we’re not their slaves, we’re not to be tortured, you’re not our master…','','maybe not in these words… that’s the beauty of revolution.','in a wordless way, through a consciousness, beyond words, before words…','','or, for them, it was just escaping hell.','physical.','physiological.','a new life– |','','*','','the consciousness–','the consciousness beyond words– |','the beauty of rebellion…','','a huge bust of duarte…','','twenty people… that’s a lot of people in a way…','','without the necessity of absolute accuracy, remembrance roading…','and others can do it too…','as long as you do the passage, you remember the suffering, and the venture…','','remembering the rebellion:','the action–','the suffering–','why did we do this…','why do we do it…','','the tracing…','remembrance…','think about why that matters…','but why does it matter? i don’t how… how it matters… exactly','but it’s a necessity','it’s just a necessity…','it’s good to know without knowing why exactly…','the remembrance drive…','remembrance roading…','remembrance roading…','the tracing of the approximate path…','','(and now the river, and the clouds, and the mountains, and the sky, and the air, and the ghosts all… know that we have been there… we have been there…','','(eradicating the blank pages of history…','(they dared, they dared…','they dared…','',')',')',')']>>

<<set $randomPassage = $passages[Math.floor(Math.random() * $passages.length)]>> <<if $randomPassage>> <<goto $randomPassage>> <</if>>

the fate of the foot of x is not the stuff of legend. the fate of the foot of x has not been turned into song. perhaps we should [[make it a… dirge.]]

the fate of the foot of x has been written into law. the fate of the foot of x: into law. [[the fate of the foot of x: into law.]]

{frst rvlt} ISBN: 978-0-9980688-9-3 Copyright, 2022, by Amir Parsa The Elastic Circus of the Revolution <img src="https://cdn.glitch.global/ee7c00d3-a9a8-49c8-80d4-878b391cdfbe/ecr.jpg?v=1680623835641" width="100"> All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of both copyright owner and the publisher of the work, except in the case of brief excerpts embodied in critical articles or reviews. This is a literary work of poetic prose and dramatic unfolding. Names, characters, places, and incidents, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental or dramatized or invented (due to lack of actual records or documentation). This is also a work of fiction. Unknown and ignored figures of history have been imagined, real figures have been enlivened in fictional, sur- and super-real contexts to shed light on episodes about which there is very little information. The blend of imaginary expansions, polemical interventions, performative innovations, and radical formal inventions is a necessity leading to a new type of work–of which there are two iterations, the musical performance and this textual performance (the author’s final cut)–a theoretico-poetic docu-fiction that is a promising way to confront the writing of a barely-known episode in history. * <em>The Elastic Circus of the Revolution is dedicated to the creation of new forms, genres, discourses and artifacts in a variety of artistic and literary arenas. ECR is a fluid, flexible and revolutionary entity generating innovative works, often engaging in the representation of obscure and forgotten topics, peoples, and events. ECR has operated since the early 2000s from a decentered space, and from geographically and platformally differentiated loci: Harlem, New York; Brooklyn, New York (Red Hook and Clinton Hill); the Zona Colonial in the Dominican Republic; Paris; online and in-person; out in the open, under-the-radar, and definitely through all sorts of clandestine modalities. ECR hopes to chart new territories and fashion new ways of thinking, creating, being and living. </em>

In December 1521, the first revolt launched by enslaved people against their European captors took place in the Americas, on the plantation of Diego Colón, son of Christopher, in what is now the Dominican Republic. This rebellion was met with force by the Spanish colonialists, generating sweeping new racist laws and an age of terror. Very little has been written about this momentous occasion. It has gone largely ignored and minimally mentioned in historical narratives as well as other media and studies. This textual version constitutes an attempt at ‘writing’ the narrative. Rendering the episode. All about: how you write it. How do we write it. How do we deal with it. How do we reckon with it. How. Do. We. Write. It. In {frst rvlt}, unknown and ignored figures of history have been imagined, real figures have been enlivened in fictional, sur- and super-real contexts to shed light on an episode about which there is very little information. The blend of imaginary expansions, polemical interventions, performative innovations, and radical formal inventions is a necessity leading to a new type of work with two very different iterations: the musical/performative event, and this poetic/narrative text (the author’s final cut): <em>a theoretico-poetic docu-fiction</em> (or, a long <em>theoretico-fictional docu-poem</em> that could be thought of as a <em>libretto for an epic song</em>) that is a radical way to confront the writing of a barely-known event in history. <em>The {frst rvlt} text has multiple entry-points, potential directionalities and reading possibilities, with various threads intersecting in different ways. The main text, accessed through the table of contents, forms a somewhat sequential representation fashioned through different scriptural strategies at rendering the sub-episodes of the grand rebellion. It can, however, be read in any number of ways, as different chapters can be accessed through the table of contents and/or read purely sequentially. The * in the sub-menu randomly takes the reader to a particular place in the overall text–and from there the reader can again continue sequentially or go back to the * or the table of contents. Fragments of the Remembrance Road Trip appear at the bottom of each ‘page’ in a randomized manner.</em> <div style="text-align:center;"> <span class="special"> [[chapter 1|2]] </span> </div>

<strong>Acknowledgments</strong> <em>{frst rvlt}</em> was developed in New York in 2020/2021, and first performed with the band Yes Exactly Yes, at Hot Wood Arts on December 11, 2021, 500 years after the event it attempts to portray took place on the land currently called the Dominican Republic. Big gratitude to Justin Frankel, Andy Omel, and Andre Martinez, members of Yes Exactly Yes, for our collaboration in bringing the musical performance and first iteration of <em>{frst rvlt}</em> to life in our very unique and memorable way. Thank you also to Megan Suttles, founder and curator of Hot Wood Arts, for believing in and supporting the project despite the ongoing pandemic, and with all the challenges we faced to make it happen while limiting the audience and sustaining the safety of all. The ‘Remembrance Road Trip’ was undertaken in the Dominican Republic with Jean Parra–a big thank you to him for taking the time and making the effort. This piece would not exist in its creative textual iteration if not for the work of [[Luke Degnan|luke degnan (bio)]], whose insights, suggestions and work in the chosen framework for the text (and ‘author’s cut’ version) of <em>{frst rvlt}</em> make him much more of a collaborator than an editor–a creative collabeditor. Thank you also to Luke’s collaborator and master Python engineer, Evan Brown. The work of the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, developed in their groundbreaking, “The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt of 1521 and the Slave Laws of 1522: Black Slavery and Black Resistance in the Early Colonial Americas” (Stevens-Acevedo, Anthony, Editor), was invaluable to this research at many levels. Although I have not (at this writing) met the writers and editors in person, a note of profound gratitude for their rigorous and essential work on this topic–a gratitude also acknowledged within the text and the performance. Thank you to my daughter Oriana, who not only performed in the piece, but has always been a great source of inspiration. Big thanks also to my wonderful wife and partner Janett, who has patiently supported my mad ventures and my research/work on her country–a land whose complex and consequential (for everyone) history I did not know before our shared life and adventures. It has been more than magical to engage in discussions and insightful conversations with her–and to always feel supported. I hope I have done justice to the necessary exploration and digging that the complex events demand–even if my interventions might ruffle feathers across lands and continents. Finally and of course: in memory of the rebels of 1521, without whose desperate yet planned-out action this work would not be possible or necessary, and the trajectories of many in history would have been radically different.

<strong>Sources</strong> A slew of sources were consulted for this work. First and foremost, the incomparable and rigorous monograph produced by the Dominican Studies Institute served as a blueprint: its arguments are well considered and its positions, especially around the rebellion having taken place in 1521 (and not in 1522), very convincing. The monograph provided not only strong arguments and insights, but also pointed to other relevant documents. Although the bibliography related to slavery in general, and slavery in the Caribbean during the early years of the Spanish and European invasions, is quite expansive, very little has been written about the episode that is at the center of <em>{frst rvlt}</em>. In fact, all my developments are mostly derived from the account given by Oviedo Las Casas in <em>Crónicas Escogidas</em>, a book I picked up more than fifteen years ago (before ever considering this work) in a Santo Domingo bookstore in the Zona Colonial. Other ideas were derived from the summaries found in the DSI monograph, and from fragments found in various narratives and writings on the history of the Dominican Republic, many of which are extremely brief and mostly resemble each other. Still, I consulted a much larger bibliography, for contextualization and verification, not to mention for the possible encounter of other traces or mentions/descriptions of the particular event at the heart of the project. Below, I have listed a limited number of texts that were particularly useful, although again, much more elaborate bibliographies exist around the general history of slavery, and even the more particular dimensions limited by time periods and geographies. In the spirit and overall poetics of the text, the works cited in the text are referenced there in an idiosyncratic way–where they take into account the repetitions and the rhythms and the flow of the text. Those works are listed again below, in the company of other texts I found particularly helpful. Antología, <u>Cronistas de Indias</u>. Buenos Aires: Ediciones Colihue, 1992. Dominguez, Jaime de Jesus, <u>Historia Dominicana</u>. Santo Domingo, Editorial Letra Gráfica, 2006. Butel, Paul, <u>Histoire des Antilles Françaises</u>. Paris: Editions Perrin, 2007. Colon, Cristobal, <u>Textos y documentos completos</u> (Edición de Consuela Varela). Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 1992. Galvan, Manuel de Jesus, <u>Enriquillo</u>. Santo Domingo: Editorial Letra Gráfica, 2011. Guitar, Lynne, “Hispaniola Slave Revolt–1521”, in, <u>The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, Volume I</u>, Junios P. Rodriguez, Ed. (p. 344-345, accessed online at www.abc-clio.com). House, Irving, <u>The Tainos–Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus</u>. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Inoa, Orlando, <u>Historia Dominicana</u>. Santo Domingo: Editio Princeps, 2013. Jennings, Francis, <u>The Invasion of America–Indians, Colonialism and the Cant of Conquest</u>. New York: W. W. Norton, 1976. Las Casas, Oviedo, <u>Crónicas Escogidas</u>. Santo Domingo: Editora Corripio, 1988. Rediker, Marcus, <u>The Slave Ship, A Human History</u>. New York: Penguin Books, 2007. Stannard, David E, <u>American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World</u>. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992. Stevens-Acevedo, Anthony, Ed., “The Santo Domingo Slave Revolt of 1521 and the Slave Laws of 1522: Black Slavery and Black Resistance in the Early Colonial Americas”. New York: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, 2019. Thomas, Hugh, <u>The Slave Trade</u>. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997. Vega B. Wenceslao, <u>Los documentos básicos de la historia dominicana</u>. Santo Domingo: Sociedad Dominicana de Bibliófilos, 2010. Vicioso, Adelardo, <u>Santo Domingo en las letras Coloniales</u>, 1492-1800. Santo Domingo: Editora de la UASD, 1979.

An internationally acclaimed writer, poet, translator, prose stylist and new formist, Amir Parsa is the author of more than twenty literary works, including <em>Drive-by Cannibalism in the Baroque Tradition</em>, <em>Feu l’encre/Fable</em>, <em>Erre</em>, and <em>L’opera minora</em>, a limited edition multilingual book. An uncategorizable body of work, his literary oeuvre–written in English, French, Farsi, Spanish and various hybrids–constitutes a radical polyphonic enterprise that puts into question national, cultural and aesthetic attachments while fashioning innovative genres, discursive endeavors and types of literary artifacts. Parsa’s curatorial interjections, performances, conceptual pieces and subversions, along with photographic, participatory, and exhibition-based projects have taken place in a host of galleries, public spaces, and environments. Overall and through the years, his books, transgressive literary works, artistic fusions and transdisciplinary interventions have dazzled and bedeviled, enchanted and pissed off, and drawn all kinds of praise and scorn. Born in Tehran, Amir attended French international schools in Iran and the U.S., studied at Princeton and Columbia, and currently lives in New York. He is the Founding Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at Pratt institute, as well as Curator, Individualized Learning, and Associate Provost for Interdisciplinary and Integrative Learning. He coordinates cross-departmental minors, directs the Pratt Integrative Courses, teaches in both the PIC and Writing programs, and regularly launches neo-disciplinary initiatives. He is the Founder, Director, and Frontman of The Elastic Circus of the Revolution.

breathe when you when you … breathe when you [[fall]]

breathe . now . breathe . when … and breathe and breathe [[and breathe…]]

deathbreath . runbreath . write the run write . the dashbreath write . deathbreath . write . write [[.|fdvbvvv]]

the breath the breath… the breath… the breath the breath the breath . . . [[________________|73]]

the way to tell it is to be qu.ie.t… quie.t and wordless… and let the f.issures take over… the rooms… the halls… the minds... the fissures across the tales… [[the fissures and the corpses…|badba]]

let the fissures… these new fissures… spread throughout… a band… and its sounds… [[a world… without words or…]]

only their sounds… only with the screeching and the screaming and the howling and the pleadings of the guitars and the horns… silent screams and cries… whispers [[murmurs and–]]

even if absent they in turn… enriquillo and the first indigenous rebels their cries too upon this revolt… all those already there who rebelled facing the oppressors [[they too in the fabric of our song…]]

only without words… the fissures… in the tales… only without words… [[the fissures… in the tales…]]

only without words… the fissures… in the tales… [[________________|104]]

this is not the last revolt . . [[.|145]]

spread… in all… the s.p.aces… a w.orld… without words or: their s. oun. ds[[…|dannngg]]

let the band… let the b. and take us there… with the scree. ch. ing and the. sc.rea. ming . . [[.|128]]

and the how.ling: and the plea.dings of the instruments… even if ab.sent th.ey in turn… only: without. w.ords… [[or]]

sen.tences or di.alogues or… [[descriptions even…]]

the fis.sures… in the tales… out.s. ide… the tales… [[________________|129]]

Luke Degnan is the Director of Computational Poetics & Potentialities for the Elastic Circus of the Revolution and is the editor and architect of {frst rvlt}’s Twine variation. He is an author, musician, and gamemaker who works with AI and language generation. With Maria G. Baker, he is the author of <em>The Shadow of Nothingness</em>, a meditation on capitalism, spirituality, and the need to grasp or excavate purpose while facing the dread of existence, futility, and the shadow of death—all written in the form of Yelp reviews. Degnan was a founding editor of <em>The Felt</em> (2015-2020), a journal of poetry and prose produced by Pratt Institute’s Graduate Writing Program. He currently teaches at Pratt Institute.

<em>[[The Remembrance Road Trip was undertaken after other modes of research in both New York and the Dominican Republic had been finalized throughout the years, and after the majority of {frst rvlt} had been written. The textual scroll is divided in two major parts: fragments created prior to the actual trip (Document I), and fragments written during the trip (Document II). The actual road trip itself was undertaken on August 20, 2022 in the Dominican Republic with Jean Parra.|147]]</em>

before sunrise– but where to exactly. where are we going… (there are no maps. are we making the maps? as we go…) in all the texts, there’s mention only of the intention of going to azua. but it seems they never made it there. around nizao, they’re caught up. and that’s it. so we’ll go. think. talk… where was diego’s plantation–maybe others know. the plantations. (i’m probably guilty of not having done enough research, probably. or contacted experts. we’re just going in the car, in that direction.) not the route, there is no route. no exact route. and maybe that’s for the best. otherwise, it’s just a pilgrimage. this is not a pilgrimage. not even an attempt at starting one. what is it then. why the need, this itch, to imagine where these rebels walked. how they went. why. (after all, does this not occur every day…) * what are the questions? who do we ask, did you know that hace 500 años por aquí, a bunch of souls rebelled. did you know that the cavalry came and did you know that a band of rebels were put down… ask: and see… ask. (but ask the clouds too. ask the sky too. ask the road, that did not exist then but the road, under the road, the path. ask the field, la tierra…) ( (just like the theory of the written piece is inside the piece, the map of this venture is traced through the venture.) (the map, the itinerary, the reason for being of the itinerary–the impetus for the thing–is within the writing.) ) not a pilgrimage. not a predetermined path. not a trail. not a historical trail. tracing the possible trail. tracing in a parallel way. an approximate, tracing. that is all we can do. given the urgency given the necessity an approximate, parallel, tracing of the trail. that’s what we can do… * tracking a parallel trail– theory of mapping when you have no information. charting a path that you don’t know. a parallel path. the parallel path to an exact path. parallel figuratively. atmospheric approximate pathing. the parallel path is not an exact path. maybe not even a path. five hundred years of corpses along riverbanks… that is what we know… (how dare they? they dared, chris, they dared…) the map of wounds, the map of howls, the map of sighs and falls… that is the map we need to make… * (in the car with j. he tries to help me out. tells me about this guy. tells me his first name. i forget his last name. i tell him this isn’t about accuracy. or about absolute finding of the right path. just approximate. see how it could have been…) (talk of san cristóbal. just getting there. the highway.) in san cristóbal. statue of colón. the sounds of the motorcycles. the roar of the motorcycles. the park. the roar of the bikes is a part of the landscape. the river. where was the river. parque central colón. how ironic. the river was this the river. along this river. how it could have been… by the river with a man outside his home that we’ve come upon… — el río. va hasta nizao? — claro he says. — and the name? — … — … he doesn’t know… plantation of diego colón. en san cristóbal. would you know where that is… almost like a foreign question. like, what the hell… we keep talking about other things and not the rebels. * repeat: we’re by a river. in san cristóbal. we drive deep into a field. trees. little casita. feels ancient. strangely. unperturbed. animals. chickens. horses. cows. a man exits. saludos. we approach as we look from above the river. — … — … — ¿cómo se llama este río?, we ask. he doesn’t know the name. — pero lo llamamos–and he says a name… — ¿y este río va hasta nizao? — claro, sí. claro. — … — … — … — el agua, he starts saying, keeps flowing. — ¿y usted sabe en dónde estaba la plantación de diego colón? he smiles and we see he’s got no teeth–just one pointy one on each side. — eso lo estudian los niños en la escuela, he laughs. to’ esa vaina. he laughs again. — ¿pero usted no? (we smile.) the image of don diego’s small little room is still with me. along this river they went? i think it was this river. maybe no so far. somewhere to the right or left of where we stand from above peering at this river still flowing. the water how it still flows and as if nothing. the water: does it remember–or does it simply flow–and flow… the water, the flow of the river. the river, in the midst of the madness of the humans, flows through it all. (the river remembers. the clouds remember. all you have to do is dig and– the river remembers and the clouds remember and– five hundred years… of corpses along riverbanks…) (how diego came to the ‘rescue’ for the crown… (melchior… y su banda) ) — … — usted tiene muchos animales, i come out of my little reverie… — si, he says, the chicken, the cows. tengo unas vacas ahí… — … — … — ¿y ese edificio allá? i point to the big white building on the hill far away. through the foliage of the trees, in the distance. con la bandera. — … — ese de trujillo, he says. — ¿trujillo? — sí, he says, something to do with trujillo. when we’re leaving he asks if we want to go to the back. but he thinks we’re here to help with the garbage or something. civil servants perhaps. — … — estos animales hacen todo un concierto, i laugh. toda una música. it was true. the incredible sounds of nature so far away from me. and he laughs and says in his way that that is indeed the case. i asked, one last time before we left, just to make sure:. — ¿usted está seguro que este río va hasta nizao? — sí claro, he repeats. hasta nizao… * it all seems so banal. the directive. the directions. the rebels. go along the river. nizao. hard to reach. far. now a highway but not long ago, no road or highway at all. nothing but the forests and the trees and the riverbanks. the burden of history and the weight of history. que vaina, like the man said. that stuff, that vaina, the kids study in school, he’d said. but i wanted to tell him that no, the kids don’t study that in school either. they don’t study that in school at all. but i didn’t. i didn’t tell him. that it’s another vaina that they teach them in school. worse vaina. the vaina of the conquerors is what they teach them in schools. (500 years of corpses along riverbanks… and all the blank pages… all the blank pages that we will eradicate… all the blank pages that we will eradicate… (all the blank pages of history… all the blank pages of history that we will eradicate…) ) * nizao. here. now. such a little town. same as all the other little towns. the small colorful houses. the motorcycles. the roads of motorcycles and– as we drive on the main street, we ask where the central plaza is. derechito, says a man. it’s always derechito. always the main road leading into a town leads to the main plaza, where lots of folks are finding refuge under the shades. the cream-colored center monument. the little gates. inevitably, a statue of colón, or of duarte, or of a hero of the patria that came from this town, has been erected in this central plaza. inevitably, another monument has also been erected, to something related to that town’s contribution to the struggles. all cool. inevitably also, the older citizens hanging out, chilling, chatting… younger man also kind of out of it, sprawled on the ground, asleep, it seems… on the side of the road, a group of goats guided by some dude, with someone else at the back. i start photographing and a woman seated on a chair outside a little house by which the goats go as we drive past laughingly shouts: ¡llévate uno! * we’re at the river in nizao. el río sí se acuerda. el cielo, azul, sí sabe. los árboles sí saben. i can feel it. the river and the sky and the clouds know. they know. and they are happy to see us. at last, i can feel them expressing themselves. at last, you are here. at last, someone. they know. they remember. i know it. they know… a man is setting up the chairs around the tables. there’s going to be parties and river-bathing later on today. lots of stations. lots of spots. i ask him if people talk about the rebels of 500 years ago around here. if there’s a monument or something about them. — aquí no hablan de los rebeldes, he says. — ¿de colón? i ask. — aquí no, he says, en la capital. (as if to say that here, they don’t talk about columbus even, and certainly not about the rebels.) — … — aquí solo se habla de trujillo, balaguer, bosch–he laughs. wow, i think, still those folks, still they talk about those folks around these parts. he goes and comes back with more chairs he’s setting up. for the bathing fun that’s happening later. no hablan de colón even. no, he seems to be hinting. as he goes back and forth, little words and little themes. and then: — colón era un tigre, he laughs. — that’s right, i say. — fre’co, he adds. using the contemporary language to refer to columbus. and… he’s right on. that’s exactly what he was: un tigre. fresco. as in: totally out to get shit… take stuff… — sí, eso sí, we say. y ladrón… — … — tigre y ladrón, i repeat. — fre’co–he concludes laughing as he goes back and forth. * our monument carved on a white rock: <em>monumento a los rebeldes de 1521</em> and we put the date: <em>8/20/22</em> economy of words because it’s hard to carve. place the rock so it’s visible, by the river, atop other rocks. how long will it stand? i wonder. but i see and sense the happiness of the water. the river. the sky. the clouds. the ghosts. at last, i hear them sigh–at last… (the ghosts know. all the ones who fell, they know all the ones who fell, they know…) (will anyone be curious to see what the monument is all about. will anyone… how long will the monument stand… how long do monuments stand…) all the monuments all the monuments y lo nuestro el chicito the small monument here, by the río nizao this is where our monument stands. the monument to that quick revolt… carved with a stone into a stone… and left by the side of the river… * on the way to azua… which they never reached, according to my readings. they’d wanted to go to azua to get other folks from other plantations to rise up. (i can see how the other plantations would be along these roads…) (when you drive with someone, you talk to them about their lives and their troubles too, their issues and families and all, not just this. but we relate all this to the trek at hand…) (on the way to azua, i’m thinking, this is what they did, this is where they went… but they were caught. melchior, y su banda… caught up to them. and then the battle. the night of… what makes myth. what is real…) el río– i heard el río– el río talking to me– the beautiful little movement of the waves en el río… the way to azua– the highway… the places they did not reveal… the muchachos hanging out… the motorcycles on the highways… and suddenly. on the side of the highway, a naked man appears, with a shirt on. mira el loco, dice j. was he naked, i ask. yeah, he says, i saw his dick. i did too–just couldn’t believe… wanted to make sure… mountains to the south… and it’s hot. extremely hot. mid 90s. people under whatever shade they can find. but also, the guys selling peanuts on the street. as soon as a car needs to slow down the guys come to you. ( (how we could know. how little we know. this place and how they did not get to go far.) which plantation. this is what they wanted to get to. this is where they wanted to get to.) en el parque, we ask: ¿dónde hay más monumentos? pretending that we knew there was another park. ahí abajo, says a man, but it’s under construction, por eso that everyone’s here… under the trees. with enriquillo not far. around now for hours. no signs. nothing of note as a monument or memory. no notes. no plaques. but worse not even existing. they don’t exist. they never existed. (no one knows. but the sky, the trees…) no monuments and no plaques because the event never even registered in any way… colón. duarte. that’s pretty much the duo. no one in between… ( j says, hey, you think when they were walking around they were like us, asking, hey, where’s the next plantation, and people answering, p’abajo. p’abajo. (funny, and right on, given the heat and the fatigue and the overall lack of any connection to this event for anyone… we have an easy laugh about it.) ) around us: all in the contemporary sense is the same: little shops; reggaeton; same music as everywhere. the trucks; the smoke. the small roads and the cars needing to maneuver. jeepetas now. (totally forgotten, i keep thinking but is that so wrong. never acknowledged. never named. never existed. ( like so many others. like so many others. ) (the victims. the losers of history…) although in their anonymity, did they not win. without names yet with all the power that came with others emulating them…) azua park: last destination. the approximate trek was on the highway and we made a few stops along the way but not much happened. besides, what was it: a remembrance drive? a way of connecting. a way of– there are no paths. no signs. no plaques. azua: the town not reached. azua: the dream deferred. azua: the park not seen. because: melchior y su banda… because: diego and his guns… * — sí, eso sí, y ladrón–that’s what I’d said… — and the others? — all of them of course… — and who knows about this? — … — … — so so few people… — quién sabe de eso… nadie… — … — … — the 500 years… — páginas en blanco… — páginas en blanco for sure… — … — this place now just a place to vacation or retire… — now now, i say, chill… where to eat. where to go. when does this stop? imagining 500 years ago with no object or monument or words… remembrance drive. (at least we built the type of monument deserved. temporary. (ephemeral.) (by the river.) (carved onto a stone) … ) this: inventing the trace not retracing: inventing the trace… to the question i kept posing to myself ‘what are we doing anyway’, i say: inventing connections– inventing a way… remembrance drive… remembrance map… remembrance roading. ( parked in azua. extreme heat. thinking the thoughts above, wondering what else. sitting and in my own zone… along the way, we made a make-shift temporary monument… ) a remembrance drive. remembrance roading… couldn’t be a pilgrimage. a type of action-mapping or making. historical exactitude? not worried about it… there’s no way for me to make it happen… all we know: in 1521 a band of rebels rose. and we went close to those places. thought we might get close. that’s what we wanted. there’s not much to find or prove… (but the blank pages, we can try to fill las páginas en blanco. those we can eradicate… eradicate the blank pages of history…) (there’s nothing always nothing in the books… there’s nothing always nothing in the books… ) — … — … — i’m sure there’s a lot of people who’ve been forgotten in the same way. — there should be a thing called “heroes dominicanos olvidados”. — … — … — but i don’t know if they’re dominican heroes. that’s the thing. — … — but maybe… — … — maybe they are. — … — … * ( about the fate of the foot, j says: — technically that’s what happens when you migrate. legally. they take one foot away. — how? — because you can’t go back. — … — legs cut off they can’t come back. — … — … — although they do it voluntarily… — … — although you could argue that they do it voluntarily because economic conditions don’t allow them to not do it. — yeah. — … — … — of course… — … — in a way, that law has been applied to the migrants. one. foot. cut. off… ( aquí también how impossible it all is how. who were they… they went along and then they fell how did they fall (whose howl rises in that deep dark sky…) ) ) * in azua park, i ask a guy: ¿hay otro monumento por aquí? hay otro–and he points to the other park. pero no de los rebeldes i say, leading him on–más contemporáneo me imagino. sí, más contemporáneo he says. ( no actual signs en azua. no signs anywhere. the music blaring. motorcycle roars. the low houses. the colorful houses. (what if they had made it to azua… what if they had… what would have happened… what would have been different. (park construction busts of heroes.) ) ) * the mountains of azua– the bay in azua– the green and the blue– the green and the blue that float…. the little water things on hills… rain drains… hard to find words. (howls in the skies… wounds in the skies… how they fall…) like i thought: totally forgotten. never known. beyond forgotten… enriquillo in azua. why this scale. why this gaze. why this posture. (while i was taking pictures of the enriquillo statue from behind, the driver of a truck as he drove by shouts laughing: cuidado que te va a tira’ un peo. good one, i think, good one…) on the side of the road, a one-legged man sprawled sitting on his butt looks up as the cars drive by. * upon exit from azua and on the road, a purchase of nuts. then i ask the nutseller at the window if he knows of monuments to the rebels. if people talk about the rebels of hace quinientos años. — sí hablan de eso, he lies — ¿hablan de eso? — … — ¿qué has oído? he stammers. switches tone. he knows he was just lying and now just flubs things and tries to get out of my annoying pushiness. — … — … — no sé, he says, de esa vaina rara. vaina rara i think. great expression… and he’s freed himself and goes. (homes on a hill– and the littlest one at the top. after a stop in bani for water col. heidy superfria, the name of the bodega… (along the path, on a highway… where is closure… do you have closure… do you need closure… i ask myself… but i know the answer… you do not. no closure on this one… there is no closure, because the closure happened so long ago… besides, closure is overrated… (i wonder if we go back to nizao, on way back from azua, to check in on our monument — … — … — do you want to go back and see? — no, i say, i actually don’t. (another convo begins again. — you think they were talking or they were quiet and determined. — … — when they were making their way… — … — … — i don’t know… i wish i knew. — … — … — … — they were probably around here. this is the part they did make… — exactly… — but by the river, no plaque in their memory. no monuments. they’re thought of as murderers. thieves. — … — … — what did they eat, what do you think… — i think they were worried. that if word got out… — … — word did get out… — … — word did get out… — … — … if you think about it a little… — … — word got out… word got out… and that’s why the venture was all stopped. dead in its tracks… ) ) ) ) long pause… remembrance drive… remembrance roading… are we past san cristóbal… the question–and then the thoughts thrown out… into the air… they were smart at some level. they knew the system. they knew people were gonna be gathered. that means it was premeditated… there were nights when they got together. messaged each other. messaged each other. that’s right. they went out in the dark. they were allowed i think. that’s how it must have gone… they dared (chris), they dared… plan an attack… they made arms homemade. sharpened poles… machetes… (but when the enemies come with guns and horses…) and the leader. who was the leader… that’s what i was asking also who the leader was… i was always curious… when was that boiling point? if i do this, all the time–meaning poking someone all the time, where’s the boiling point. what was the motive? they were just tired? it wasn’t fair? i think being sick of being effin’ <del>enslave</del>d… even though the categories are different. even though consciousness is different. not in these words or in this language but somehow, there’s a sense, we’re not their servants we’re not their <del>slaves</del>, we’re not to be tortured, you’re not our master… maybe not in these words… that’s the beauty of revolution. in a wordless way, through a consciousness, beyond words, before words… or, for them, it was just escaping hell. physical. physiological. a new life– | * the consciousness– the consciousness beyond words– | the beauty of rebellion… a huge bust of duarte… twenty people… that’s a lot of people in a way… without the necessity of absolute accuracy, remembrance roading… and others can do it too… as long as you do the passage, you remember the suffering, and the venture… remembering the rebellion: the action– the suffering– why did we do this… why do we do it… the tracing… remembrance… think about why that matters… but why does it matter? i don’t how… how it matters… exactly but it’s a necessity it’s just a necessity… it’s good to know without knowing why exactly… the remembrance drive… remembrance roading… remembrance roading… the tracing of the approximate path… (eradicating the blank pages of history… (they dared, they dared… they dared… (and now the river, and the clouds, and the mountains, and the sky, and the air, and the ghosts all… know that we have been there… we have been there… ) ) )

the law states that the house that burns [[must burn]] [[must burn]] [[must burn]]

no need to lament: we get what we deserve without revolt–we get what we deserve– | without the consciousness of revolt, [[the assassins always will be right–]] |

there i stand: before you: the witness: of the world: the first revolt in a false new world. i–and the ghosts of the victims not: <del>slaves</del> who were freed but people unjustly in bondage [[not: in the new world but–]].

maybe not even in revolt. instead: freedom-seekers, freedom-fighters! the descendents of <del>slaves</del> within a country during the attack. get killed. names, histories [[right before…]]

the sudden realization that you are being attacked the panic words exchanged thoughts and the path forward… [[and the stories forever told…]]

run and look and put a hand down and: try to get back up–: only to <<timed 2s>>fall<</timed>> <<timed 3s>>again…<</timed>> <<timed 4s>>fall:<</timed>> <<timed 5s>>again– | <</timed>> <<timed 6s>>fall:<</timed>> <<timed 7s>>a.gain. <</timed>> … <<timed 8s>>fall<</timed>> … <<timed 9s>>[[again.]] |<</timed>>

— the children and the–! attacked too how do they… fall! | — and the rebels the first ones the leaders them: how many… <<timed 3s>>fall…<</timed>> [[how… do they fall…]]

how. many. <<timed 3s>>fall?!<</timed>> how many <<timed 5s>>falls?!!<</timed>> must we depict… — how many <<timed 7s>>fall<</timed>> . . [[.|77]]

one day tell: all the ways they fall… | — … one day tell: [[all…|fdvbvbas]]

all: the ways: they fall… | one day tell: all… all: the ways: they fall… | — … one day tell: all… all the ways [[they fall…|81]]

{frst rvlt}

author’s cut

in which is fashioned
an anatomy
of the
first rebellion
in
~~the americas~~

on the occasion of its quinto centenario