Rooted in Red
by Diamond Ramos
On a tall tree
a red cup opens to the sun
the Flor de Maga,
bright as a heartbeat
in the warm air of Puerto Rico.
Many mistake it for hibiscus,
though it blooms in its own way.
It grows tall from island soil,
rooted deep and steady,
like the people who name it home.
Its petals hold stories
beauty in the wind,
pride carried through festivals and art,
a quiet strength blooming
after every storm.
Some say its color
came from the blood
of a Taíno witch,
spilled into the earth
when the island first learned of loss.
And from that red memory
a flower rose
not fragile,
but fierce,
opening again and again
to the Caribbean light.