Today, in our continuing series of poems by Pedro Rodríguez Miranda, my grandfather-in-law, we present his fourteenth poem, “Evolution of Love.” The second section of his book focuses on “Love Poems in Old Age.” I chose “Evolution of Love” as the opening poem in this series because it beautifully represents this second phase of life.

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Evolución del Amor

En el principio Dios creó el amor,
el amor joven y el amor maduro.
¿Qué hemos hecho de ese amor?
El amor joven: pasión de quinceañera, tierna pasión,
Sutil, inocente, honesta,
Pensamiento puros y dicha infinita, aparentemente,
Besos tiernos, muchos besos, besos apasionados,
pues con los besos, se confirma el amor…

Pero luego el amor evoluciona…
Matrimonio: responsabilidades, trabajo arduo
Para buscar el sustento de la nueva familia…
Hogar propio…deudas…compromisos…
Y evoluciona más ese amor, y trae…
Hijos: Amor, mucho amor, pero amor hipotecado.
Y aún así trae felicidad intensa, el amor Eterno de los hijos…
Porque el amor a los hijos es eterno…
Es el amor al máximo de la configuración humana…
Sí… Aunque esté hipotecado…

Y pensamos a veces: ¿A quién queremos más?
Hay tanto amor…
Amamos a Dios sobre todas las cosas;
Amamos a los padres, a los hijos, a la esposa,
Y naturalmente, al vecino, porque estamos llenos de amor…
Y a veces pienso yo: ¿Y a mí, que voy tan recargado?
¡Bah! Yo soy el suplidor, debo luchar por todos.
¿Es mi afán estimado?

Surgen las exigencias de la vida:
Exige el patrono, la renta, la luz, el agua,
El supermercado, el plan médico, el doctor,
La farmacia, el auto, la escuela de los niños,
Y el fisco que me aprieta…
Y el párroco me gruñe si tomo una cerveza…

¿Y qué pasó de aquel amor apasionado de los quince?
Se ha complicado… y sigue:
El colegio, la boda, la financiera,
La tarjeta de crédito, los pagos al contado…
Pero queda aún amor, ¿No lo had notado?

Con dolor vemos que los hijos se han marchado,
Y quedamos tú y yo, El AMOR DEL PASADO…
Pero espera un momento, esto no se ha acabado.

Ahora llegan los nietos y las nietas.
Ah, los nietos, empezamos de nuevo…
Se crea más amor; y este es amor del bueno…

¡Que alegría, los nietos, los nietos que adoramos!
¿Qué pasó con el tiempo…?
HEMOS LLEGADO A VIEJOS

¡Llegó la Edad de Oro! ¿De oro?
Pero oro no trajo, sólo nos trajo abrojos:
El corazón se daña. la hernia se revienta,
El cáncer que nos pudre, 
Alta presión, colesterol, diabetes;
Y con esto, dolor, dolor de la vejez severa…

El doctor: citas, citas, y más citas…
Y sanación ninguna…
Son causas progresivas y a la vez depresivas…

Y sigue: Medicamentos caros, pastillas, enemas,
Purgantes y jarabes…
Y otra vez el doctor: Chequeos, más chequeos…
Opérate esto, eso, aquello…
Tajos aquí, tajos allá, radioterapia, quimioterapia
“CT Scan”… ¡Carajo! Se arruina el “Medicare,”
y la cuenta bancaria…
Y SANACION NINGUNA…

Y así pasan los años, y nos ponemos viejos.
Y entre tanta desdicha, y entre tanto dolor,
Aún sacamos tiempo para DAR MAS AMOR…

EL AMOR ES INFINITO, ETERNO, PORQUE ES OBRA DE DIOS,
Y POR ESO CRECE Y SE MULTIPLICA Y TRAE FELICIDAD.

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Evolution of Love

In the beginning, God created love,

Young love and mature love.

What have we done with that love?

Young love: a teenager's passion, tender passion,

Subtle, innocent, honest,

Pure thoughts and infinite joy, apparently,

Tender kisses, many kisses, passionate kisses,

For with kisses, love is confirmed…

But then love evolves…

Marriage: responsibilities, hard work

To provide for the new family…

A home of your own…debts…commitments…

And that love evolves further, bringing…

Children: Love, so much love, but love on a mortgage.

And still, it brings intense happiness, the Eternal love of children…

Because the love for children is eternal…

It is love at the highest configuration of humanity…

Yes… even if it's mortgaged…

And sometimes we think: Whom do we love more?

There is so much love…

We love God above all things;

We love parents, children, the spouse,

And naturally, the neighbor, because we are full of love…

And sometimes I think: What about me, who is so burdened?

Bah! I am the provider, I must fight for everyone.

Is my effort appreciated?

The demands of life arise:

The employer, the rent, the electricity, the water,

The supermarket, the health plan, the doctor,

The pharmacy, the car, the children's school,

And the tax collector who squeezes me…

And the priest who growls if I have a beer…

And what happened to that passionate love of fifteen?

It has become complicated… and continues:

College, weddings, the finance company,

The credit card, the cash payments…

But there is still love, haven't you noticed?

With pain, we see that the children have left,

And it's just you and me, the LOVE OF THE PAST…

But wait a moment, this isn't over yet.

Now come the grandsons and granddaughters.

Ah, the grandchildren, we start anew…

More love is created; and this is good love…

What joy, the grandchildren, the grandchildren that we adore!

What happened to time…?

WE HAVE GROWN OLD

The Golden Age has arrived! Golden?

But it didn't bring gold, only brought us thistles:

The heart fails, the hernia bursts,

The cancer that rots us,

High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes;

And with this, pain, the severe pain of old age…

The doctor: appointments, appointments, and more appointments…

And no healing at all…

They are progressive causes and at the same time depressive…

And it continues: Expensive medications, pills, enemas,

Laxatives and medicinal syrups…

And again the doctor: Check-ups, more check-ups…

Have surgery on this, that, and the other…

Cuts here, cuts there, radiotherapy, chemotherapy

CT Scan… Damn it! Medicare is going to ruin,

and the bank account too…

AND NO HEALING AT ALL…

And so the years go by, and we grow old.
And amidst so much adversity, and so much pain,
We still find time to GIVE MORE LOVE…

LOVE IS INFINITE, ETERNAL, BECAUSE IT IS GOD'S WORK,

AND THAT'S WHY IT GROWS AND MULTIPLIES AND BRINGS HAPPINESS.

(Translated by Edward Ortiz)

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Previous Poems:
1. Young Love
2. To Jelly
3. Message of Love
4. Subtle Dream
5. Honeymoon Journey
6. That is Love
7. Nostalgia
8. Sad Christmas
9. A Verse for You
10. You Arrived
11. Letter to My Wife
12. To the Colón Park of Aguadilla
13. Legend of the Flamboyant

About the Author:

Pedro Rodríguez Miranda was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on 22 February 1930. He completed his primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico before moving to New York City to attend college when the Korean War started. He joined the Marine Corps and served four years, completing his enlistment and receiving an honorable discharge. After his service, he returned to New York City and attended college, receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation, he worked for the city until 1965 when he returned to Puerto Rico. He worked as a high school teacher in Aguadilla and completed his second Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez.

• El Amor en Dos Tiempos: Poems by Pedro Rodriguez Miranda