Spaniards came. They conquered. Perhaps they helped.
But they could have made better use of their paternal concern.
Americans have come. They are helping.
Momentous is their contribution.
Yet you need more of their attention,
Sympathy and opportunity.
Let them come and let them go, if so is the Will of God.
But you try to live dauntless, deep within.
You try to listen to the dictates of your inner soul.
Yours is the mounting cry,
Yours is the Golden Shore,
Yours is the Promised Land.
May God shower His choicest Blessings upon you,
My Puerto Rico!
- Sri Chinmoy, Along The Spiral of Time, Madal Bal Studio, Prague, 2022.
Notes
Sri Chinmoy wrote this poem on 19 July 1966 on his very first visit to the island of Puerto Rico. It was set to music on 8 July 1979.
My Puerto Rico - A talk given on the same day 19 July 1966 under the auspices of the YMCA of Santurce, Puerto Rico.