by Gail D. Manfre
MY SELF GIVEN NAME IS EL ZORRO
WHICH IN SPANISH MEANS "THE FOX."
IN ORDER TO FIGHT THE EVIL THAT I SEE
MY OWN TRUE IDENTITY I MUST CONCEAL
BUT ONE DAY I NEARLY BECAME ENMASCARADO!
ON A SUMMER'S FULL MOON NIGHT
I RODE LONG AND HARD TO DEFEAT
A ROYAL EMISSARY FROM THE KING,
WHO LUSTED AFTER GOLD 'THAT WAS NOT HIS
HE NEEDED MONEY SO HE COULD TAKE FLIGHT.
BUT TO PUNISH SUCH A MISCREANT
FOR ZORRO WAS A SIMPLE TASK AND
THE THIEF RENOUNCED HIS TAINTED WAYS;
HE PROMISED TO RESTORE THE STOLEN FUNDS.
CONDÉ RAMON SOLEDAD SWORE HE HAD REPENTED.
HE DID STEAL MONEY FROM A LADY FAIR
MARQUESA CASSANDRA MARIA PEREZ WAS HER NAME.
HER CLEAR SKIN WAS OF ALABASTER HUE
DIOS! HER EYES WERE A DEEP AZURE BLUE;
RAVEN BLACK WAS THE COLOR OF HER HAIR.
WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS DEAR REGAL SENORITA
CASSANDRA, DIOS! I THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS
LIKE THE FINEST CHINA - SO VERY DELICATE
WAS MY DEAR MARQUESA'S PURE BEAUTY!
INDEED LIKE PRECIOUS JEWELS DID I TREAT HER.
QUICKLY I WON HER SWEET DEAR LOVE
BY RECOVERING ALL OF HER GREAT WEALTH
THAT CONDÉ RAMÓN LUPE DE SOLEDAD
THIS THIEF, THIS KING'S MAN DID EMBEZZLE.
I WAS SO HAPPY TO HAVE HER -I THANKED GOD ABOVE.
SHE KNEW QUITE WELL THAT I WAS AN OUTLAW,
HUNTED DAY AND NIGHT ONLY FOR SEEKING
DUE JUSTICE FOR THE POOR AND THE WEAK;
FOR THIS REASON WAS EL ZORRO BORN.
BUT HER DESIRE FOR MONEY WAS HER DOWNFALL.
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FOR UNKNOWN TO ME, MY DARLING LOVE
CASSANDRA MARIA PEREZ IN THE END PROVED
NOT WHOM OR WHAT SHE APPEARED TO BE
SEVERAL TIMES I WOULD CATCH HER IN LIES
ABOUT HER PAST AND THE LIFE SHE WAS NOW LIVING
ALMOST TOO LATE IN HER HUGE BRIGHT EYES
SHAMEFUL LIES AND UTTER BETRAYAL DID I SEE,
FOR PRETTY SENORITA PEREZ ONLY DESIRED
THE 5,000 PESO REWARD THE MILITARY OFFERED
TO ALL AND ANYONE WHO COULD CAPTURE ME
ON A DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT IN JUNE
SHE ARRANGED FOR US TO MEET AT HER
LARGE HACIENDA NEAR LOS ANGELES TO
DECLARE AND SHOW HER UNDYING LOVE FOR ME.
THERE MY WORSHIP OF HER, CASSANDRA DID RUIN.
I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ALONE - US TWO
WOULD EAGERLY SHARE AND CELEBRATE OUR
SACRED LOVE AND AFFECTION TOGETHER;
THESE FEELINGS SADLY WENT UNSHARED AS SHE
SPRANG HER TRAP -THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.
OH, SHE GLOATED WHEN SHE AIMED HER WEAPON
IN MY DIRECTION AND ORDERED ME TO
REMOVE MY MASK AND REVEAL MY IDENTITY -
TO HER AND SENOR SOLEDAD TO END MY
OATH TO SERVE JUSTICE; ZORRO WOULD BE UNDONE.
WHEN CASSIE CALLED FOR THE COMMANDANTE
TO ARREST ME, TO HER GREAT SURPRISE,
CAPITAN TOLEDANO APPEARED TO APPREHEND THEM!
IMAGINE HER CHAGRIN WHEN I SPURNED HER
EVIL EMBRACE AND SAID FOR HER CRIMES SHE WOULD PAY.
I HAD EARLIER REQUESTED THE GOOD CAPITAN'S AID'
IN TERMINATING THE CRIMINAL WAYS OF "CONDE"
SOLEDAD AND HIS FEMALE CONSORT WHO HAD
ROBBED AND BEATEN OUR PEOPLE. HE WOULD REMOVE
THESE EVIL ONES ONLY WAS THE PROMISE HE MADE.
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ALTHOUGH VERY EMBITTERED, SHE DID ACCEPT MY
FAREWELL KISS. BY MY FAITH, I MUST VERILY
CONFESS TO MYSELF I TRULY LOVED HER SO!
'TWAS BETTER THAT WE HAD NEVER MET. FOR
THIS LOST LOVE HURT SO MUCH WHEN I SAID GOODBYE.
GRATEFUL I WAS TO CAPITŔN ARTURO TOLEDANO
WHO AGREED NOT TO PURSUE ME ON THAT
GLOOMY NIGHT WHICH WAS SO DARK AND GRIMLY
FATEFUL FOR MY HEART AND SOUL; NOW
I RIDE AS AN OLDER AND WISER EL ZORRO.
AND I THANK THE LORD THAT I AM PRIVILEGED
TO SERVE MY PEOPLE AS THE DARK ANGEL
THE MASKED AVENGER, THE NIGHT HUNTER!
FREE TO REMAIN A RELUCTANT HERO, AS THE
FOX, NOT AS ENMASCARADO, BUT AS EL ZORRO!
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MAY 28, 2001
