I never thought I’d be saying “wow” to a hard banana, said Elias.
At El Punto, a restaurant in old San Juan.
With typical Puerto Rican food.
He couldn’t believe his luck.
A plateful of tostones, rice, beans, avocado.
And breaded fileted grouper.
Which he devoured.
After a morning darting in and out of tunnels.
At San Cristóbal.
Fortress built centuries ago to protect the land.
With levels to climb, explore.
Then a walk past La Perla neighborhood.
Back to el Morro.
To entice Grandpop onto a trail.
Behind the castle.
After a descent into a dry moat.
Elias earned his supper
after scooting around town.
In and out of citadels
on many a battleground.
Lynn Benjamin
February 23, 2023
