TEMPORAL

By Ramón Serrano — Diógenes Ballester is one of Puerto Rico's hidden treasures. His paintings have graced the walls of the most prestigious art galleries in the world. From Paris to Japan, from Bulgaria to Brazil he has raised the Puerto Rican flag with accompanying accolades and awards. He is presently the Artist in Residence in Ponce's famed Museum of Art. I first met Diógenes in the early eighties when i was learning acupuncture. I was called by a friend who told me that one of our great artists was suffering from intense pain and could not get up out of bed. I had never heard of Diógenes but was convinced to go to his aid. When I arrived at his house/gallery in El Barrio I immediately informed him that I was not qualified to treat his condition. He insisted that I proceed. When I returned the following week he was walking around pain free. No one was more surprised than I. We would not see each other again for another 35 years. When we finally reunited he told me that the...

Clinic #3 Peñuelas By Ramón Serrano February 1, 2020 - It's when the sun goes down that the terror begins. Another sleepless night for the 171 people still living under tarps in the makeshift community inside the towns' athletic stadium. The tremors continue every night and now can be calculated by the uncontrollable shiver, almost to the exact degree, by what is now a collective human Richter scale. Of course, many have their smart phones dialed directly into the seismic activity but take a reluctant pride in being able to identify the source of their nightmares in such a precise manner. "El de anoche midio 5.4" Sra. Ramirez is a 34 year old Social Worker, native of the town, who when the Earth convulsed on January 7th, took the lead in the relief effort. She begins her work every morning, seven days per week at 6 a.m. in the camp's ground zero. She herself admits that because of her own personal trauma, she is only able to sleep 2 hours per night. She s...