In Havana

Saltyjohn

In Havana
2022©John Schofield
I walk past a fancy hotel
Tourists sway to a latino beat
They’re trying to dance the flamenco
And their laughter spills onto the street

Behind the avenues and plazas
I find streets where the kids have no shoes
Walls with slogans of long-lost causes
Somewhere a horn is blowing the blues

Chorus:
Crumbling facades on broad boulevards
A ‘53 Chevy made to look smart
Like a worn-out diva dressed to the nines
Still on the stage but forgetting her lines
In Havana, in Havana, in Havana

The cruise ship tourists spend their dollars
On posters of Che in his beret
Cuba libras and gourmet dining
They feel like Hemmingway for a day

Repeat chorus