Ode to the Palapero
It’s dangerous building a palapa
What is a palapero? One might ask.
A builder of palapas honed for the task.
But what is a palapa, they then say.
An open-sided dwelling in which to play.
A roof that is thatched with dried palm leaves
Or grasses that are bundled in small, dried sheaves.
Heavy poles are set up, whether large or small
To make a frame that could cover a mall
Or just a table while at the beach
For shade and drinks within easy reach.
The large frames are grand and hard to build
The palaperos are strong for the poles they will yield
Up tall ladders they climb to pull poles nice and easy
Up three-story heights which makes me quite queasy
To watch them move around on one long pole
Spliced together to play their role
Of a ridge-beam for rafters to be tacked
With 20-penny nails where purlins are stacked.
