# Santiago de Cuba Says Goodbye to Poet Teresa Melo

**Date:** 02/01/2023

Floral offerings from the president of Cuba, the Minister of Culture, and the people of Santiago de Cuba accompanied the funeral honors of the prominent poet Teresa Melo, who died this Monday, January 30, in her native Santiago de Cuba.

Similarly, floral tributes arrived at the Casa del Caribe, located in this city, as well as offerings from the Government in this southeastern territory, the Cuban Book Institute, the Provincial Committee of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac), and from family members and friends, among others.

From early morning hours, the people of the Hero City and the highest authorities of the province paid heartfelt tribute to her, who was a member of Uneac and Honorary Member of the Hermanos Saíz Association.

Teresa de la Caridad Melo Rodríguez, at the time of her death, was working as editor of Oriente Publishing House. She leaves behind a valuable poetic body of work that positions her as one of the principal voices of the so-called generation of the '80s.

Teresa Melo has died, and it is not an ordinary being who on this January 30, at 61 years of age, bids farewell to the world. Teresa was a poet, one of those for whom beautiful ideas could rain down equally to write a poem as to offer a simple greeting in the heart of the Cabaña, in the warmth of the Book Fair, of which she was a welcome visitor; or through a chat, always warm and attentive. And she was a great Cuban, because the name of her Homeland vibrated firmly in her voice and in her pen, especially in these times, when Cuba needed and needs her best sons and daughters to defend her from unfounded slander.

Although being part of her circle of friends and colleagues guaranteed knowing her caliber, one could also learn, through other means, who Teresa Melo was. Those means were social networks, to which she would venture not too long ago and, nevertheless, was able to achieve, without even proposing it to herself, a significant number of followers, seduced by the beauty of her courageous and elevated word.

Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and Honorary Member of the Hermanos Saíz Association, Teresa Melo was author of lyric collections such as El libro de Estefanía, El vino del error, Yo no quería ser reina, and Las altas horas, and recognized as one of the principal voices within the so-called generation of the '80s.

She was also an editor, cultural promoter, director of literary publications, and judge of prestigious awards. Letras Cubanas, Ediciones Unión, Ediciones Santiago, and Editorial Oriente, among other publishing houses, published her work, which was worthy of recognition such as the Nicolás Guillén Prize, La Puerta de Papel, the Literary Criticism Prize, and the distinction for National Culture.

A deeply rooted Martiana, she found no better title to name the anthology of love poetry in Spanish, which Editorial Oriente requested her to compile in 2003, than Soy el amor, soy el verso.

There, in an impassioned prologue, she spoke of "the light that surrounds you when you love," and highlighted the desire that this light would accompany us permanently.

Today, knowing how this good woman, loving mother and friend of the noblest causes, spent her life, we know that the greatest of all feelings embraced her and that, recognizing herself as an "island creature," she moved through the world animated by two forces that beat as twins in her being: her love for poetry and the defense of her Homeland.