How Does an Island Quench Its Thirst? Insights from a Matanzas Poet and Journalist

Lianet Fundora, a poet and journalist from Matanzas, earned a First Mention in the José Jacinto Milanés Debate Contest with her décima poem titled "All the Thirst of an Island." This lyrical work vividly captures the everyday struggles in Cuba, particularly those tied to water scarcity.

The award was announced during the 34th International Book Fair held in Matanzas from August 20 to 23, as reported by the Girón newspaper on Friday, August 21. This well-established poetry competition is a significant event in the literary scene of the western province, historically organized by the Digdora Alonso House of Letters, Ediciones Matanzas, and the José Jacinto Milanés Literary Promotion Center.

The Daily Struggles Captured in Verse

Fundora's décima, composed of four espinelas—a traditional form of ten-line octosyllabic verses deeply rooted in Cuban culture—depicts a father kneeling on the sidewalk, clutching a pipe under the scorching 3 PM sun, waiting for water that never arrives. The poem opens with a scene of physical suffering and search: "My father has knelt down, / strikes the sidewalk again, / does not dodge the pain, / his fingers worn. Absorbed / in the search, he has forgotten / his birds in captivity. / Someone hurls a slur / and midday is shattered, / the cross of a pipe / weighs on his shoulder. He is serious."

Fundora describes the work as addressing "our realities, those internal wounds we carry, the day-to-day life that defines Cubans," drawing "an analogy with Christ's crucifixion and the daily crosses we bear in our existence."

Reflection on a National Crisis

The second stanza delves into the waiting and broken hope: "Not even from his side does water flow, / only a bloody trace on his arm / from so much shattered hope. / Father sweats drop by drop / the remnants of neglect, / his hands have dissolved / in the burning crowd. / -It's already three in the afternoon- / but nothing has been fulfilled."

The poem's conclusion elevates the everyday scene to a collective unanswered question: "He sinks his ear into the earth / to which he is promised. / My father is a wounded deer / in a silent war. / His hand gropes / for the hand that legislates / while drought isolates / the soul's resurrection / Asks how to calm / all the thirst of an Island."

This powerful décima resonates amid Cuba's severe water crisis. As of May 2026, around 2.7 million Cubans faced severe difficulties accessing potable water, with millions more receiving it intermittently. In Havana alone, over half a million were affected by July, with reports of neighborhoods in various provinces enduring weeks without supply.

Structural Challenges and Cultural Reflection

The underlying issues are structural, with over 80% of Cuban water systems reliant on the National Electrical System, making them susceptible to blackouts. Additionally, the hydraulic system operates with a fraction of the necessary fuel, severely limiting pumping capacity.

The ten-line stanza, a robust tradition in the Island's poetry and throughout Latin America, has recently been employed by other Cuban poets such as José Martínez, Juan Carlos García Guridi, Jorge Luis (Veleta) Mederos, and Sindy Manuel Torres to depict the harsh daily realities faced in Cuba.