<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""></span><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> <img alt="" class="" apple-inline="yes" id="94FFB6F5-0302-4C8B-8C59-5F3E2D916A3A" src="cid:part1.05650638.2AB5DEBE@mindspring.com"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Full Moon on the Fourth Day</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">The days are tiring since we undertook the journey but because of that no less amazing. I often ask myself if my companions and I have not spent too much time in our observatories looking for causes in the stars. Since we left we have seen so much suffering, so much misery, so much kindness, so much joy in the common folk that has nothing to do with the stars. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">What is it that I will remember of the trip? The four birdies we heard sing on arriving at the village this evening? The moon so big and bright that it dims the star itself? The misery and the kindness of the people? </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Who knows what the memory chooses to keep. On the way we discussed so much the why of the trip itself. Who is this princeling who merits a star to announce his birth? Will he perhaps grow to be the king who will free his people from the yoke of the empire? ¿Or, like the present king, one who will accommodate to the yoke and under it prosper making himself more rich? </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Well, at least we are assured a great welcome by his parents. Without doubt they will feast us and load us with gifts even more rich than those we bring, and we shall set out on the return journey burdened with more riches than our three offerings. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Be that as it may, I imagine that it will be this trip itself that is worth the trouble, what we learned of the suffering — and the capacity for joy —of the people. Or the singing of the four little birds. Or this moon, so near, so full, so brilliant that it overshadows the star itself and does not let me sleep.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">© Rafael Jesús González 2020 <br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Luna llena en el cuarto día</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Son cansados los días desde que empeñamos el viaje aunque no por eso menos asombrosos. A menudo me pregunto si yo y mis compañeros no hemos gastado demasiado tiempo en nuestros observatorios buscando causas en las estrellas. Desde que salimos hemos visto tanto sufrir, tanta miseria, tanta bondad, tanta alegría en la gente común que nada tiene que haber con las estrellas. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">¿Qué es lo que recordaré del viaje? Los cuatro pajarillos que oímos cantar al llegar a la aldea esta tarde? ¿La luna tan grande y luminosa que ofusca a la estrella misma? ¿La miseria y la bondad de la gente? </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Vayamos a saber que es lo que escoge para guardar la memoria. Discutimos tanto en camino del porque del viaje mismo. ¿Quién este principillo que merece un lucero para anunciar su nacer? ¿Tal vez crecerá a ser el rey que libere a su pueblo del yugo del imperio? ¿O como el rey actual uno que se acomode al yugo y bajo él prospere haciéndose más rico? </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Bueno, a lo menos se nos asegura una gran bienvenida de sus padres. Sin duda nos festejarán y nos colmarán de regalos aun más ricos de los que traemos y saldremos en el viaje de regreso cargados de más riquezas que nuestras tres ofrendas. </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">Sea como sea, me imagino que será este viaje mismo que valga la pena, lo que aprendimos del sufrimiento — y capacidad de alegría — de la gente. O el cantar de los cuatro pajarillos. O esta luna tan cerca, tan llena, tan brillante que opaca el lucero mismo y me espanta el sueño.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class="">© Rafael Jesús González 2020</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""> </span></div></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Palatino;" class=""><br class=""></span></div></div></body></html>