handful of earth

They were there at the mass rally at the university the week before the struggle to overthrow the regime began.

Their voices joined together with the voices of students, campesinos, professors and rebel leaders and rumbled across the night sky to the farthest reaches of the island. 

"We ask for a fair price for beans and rice!

We ask for a fair price for a room to sleep in!

We ask for a fair price for shirts and shoes!

We ask for schools for our children!

We ask for care from doctors and hospitals!

We ask for work so we can build these things for the people!

We need them to live!

We ask for life!" 

At that moment, they saw each other.

Their fists were clenched and raised to the sky.

Her brown eyes and his blue eyes glistened under the lights of the field where they shouted and sang their hopes and dreams for their country, their poor families and for the people. 

Out of all the people there around them, her eyes could not leave his eyes, his eyes could not leave hers.

Out of all the people there around them, his heart could not forget her heart, her heart could not forget his.

Compassion and courage drew them together as friends and lovers. 

In those first days, they thought of what it might be like to be with each other, to hear each other’s stories, to know the beats of each other’s hearts.

Now they were together, holding each other, loving each other, protecting each other.

They were salt.

They were light.

They were made from the dirt.

They were the handful of earth to each other.