7/30/2019 42 Un paseo por el cementerio de Teacapn

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Un paseo por el cementerio de TeacapnEl poeta, escritor y diplomtico mexicano Octavio Paz observ que el mexicano tiene una relacin especialcon la muerte, indicando que "la persigue, se burla de ella, la corteja, la abraza, duerme con ella; es su

juego favorito y su amor ms duradero". Tal sentimiento parece preciso cuando se recorre el cementerio dela pobre aldea pesquera de Teacapn. Con pocos recursos, las familias del pueblo se las arreglan paraconstruir una multitud de complejos mausoleos familiares que toman aos en completar. Sin embargo,surge otra perspectiva al terminar de recorrer el cementerio. Los lujosos mausoleos son en realidadmonumentos a la fuerza de la familia. En Mxico cada uno de sus miembros es importante, y la prdida de

cualquiera de ellos es profundamente llorada a muchos niveles.

Un paseo por el cementerio de TeacapnEl poeta, escritor y diplomtico mexicano Octavio Paz observ que el mexicano tiene una relacin especialcon la muerte, indicando que "la persigue, se burla de ella, la corteja, la abraza, duerme con ella; es su

juego favorito y su amor ms duradero". Ya sea este un comentario sardnico sobre una cultura quecelebra la muerte en das de fiesta especiales, o un reflejo de la seria realidad de un pueblo que haexperimentado pocas de alta mortalidad debido a conquistas, enfermedades y pobreza, est claro que losmexicanos recuerdan y veneran a sus muertos.

En aos recientes, la aldea costera de Teacapn ha sufrido un notable descenso en la pesca. Las familiasluchan por mantener un nivel de vida mnimo. Caminos surcados bordean hileras de casas desmoronadashechas de bloques de cemento, cubiertas de metal corrugado oxidado y techos de hojas de palma. Porello, uno se sorprende cuando atraviesa el arco de piedra que sirve de entrada al cementerio y penetra unmundo de lujosos mausoleos familiares y tumbas conservadas meticulosamente.

Primero, un montculo de tierra y una cruz marcan la sepultura. A esto le sigue una cripta de concreto,segn lo permitan los ahorros. A travs de los aos se construye un mausoleo. Los mausoleos sonpequeas obras de arte de la arquitectura funeraria mexicana. El permetro lo define una cerca de maderao de hierro forjado. Macetas con flores u otras plantas ocupan el rea dentro de la cerca. Las paredesestn repelladas con estuco y pintadas en tonos brillantes de rosado, amarillo o azul. Un Cristo crucificadocuida a los muertos desde lo alto del techo de losas de barro. Dentro del mausoleo se encuentra unsantuario dedicado a los desaparecidos, con urnas de flores y velas a cada lado de una foto del fallecido.

7/30/2019 42 Un paseo por el cementerio de Teacapn

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Inscrita en la pared hay una conmemoracin, muchas veces conmovedora, compuesta por lossobrevivientes. Estas expresiones personales de angustia o tristeza traen lgrimas a los ojos de quien laslee. Gradualmente se nos revela la respuesta a una pregunta que nos hicimos durante el recorrido.Por qu un pueblo con tan pocos recursos dedica tanto dinero y esfuerzo a sus muertos? Paracomprender la respuesta primero se debe comprender que, en la cultura mexicana, la familia lo es todo.Cada muerte representa una terrible prdida a muchos niveles. Decidimos que las tumbas son, al menosen parte, monumentos a la importancia de la familia. No hay duda de que la creacin de estosrecordatorios exige la participacin de todos sus miembros.

Comprensin1. Qu poeta mexicano es citado en esta historia?2. De qu colores son las paredes de los mausoleos?3. Qu hay dentro de los mausoleos?4. Por qu los habitantes de Teacapn dedican tanto tiempo a sus muertos?5.

A Cemetery Walk In TeacapnMexican poet, writer, and diplomat Octavio Paz has observed that the Mexican is on familiar terms withdeath, noting that he "...chases after it, mocks it, courts it . . . it is his favorite plaything and his most lastinglove." This sentiment seems accurate as one meanders through the cemetery in the poor fishing village ofTeacapn. With few resources, the families of this town have managed to construct many elaborate family

mausoleums that take years to finish. But another perspective emerges after touring the cemetery. Theselavish monuments really memorialize the strength of the family in Mexico, where every member isimportant, and whose loss is deeply felt on many levels.

A Cemetery Walk In TeacapnMexican poet, writer, and diplomat Octavio Paz has observed that the Mexican is on familiar terms withdeath, noting that he "...chases after it, mocks it, courts it . . . it is his favorite plaything and his most lastinglove." Whether this is a wry commentary on a culture that has holidays celebrating death, or a reflection ofthe sober reality of a people that have experienced periods of great mortality due to conquest, disease andpoverty, what is clear is that Mexicans remember and revere their dead.

In recent years, the coastal fishing village of Teacapn has seen a sharp decline in its harvests. Families

struggle to maintain a semblance of comfort in their daily lives. Rutted lanes are lined with crumbling cinderblock houses, topped by rusty corrugated metal and decaying palm frond roofs. And so it is stunning whenone passes under the arched stonework entrance to the cemetery and enters a realm of lavishly appointedfamily mausoleums and meticulously maintained gravesites.

Initially a mound of earth and a cross marks the grave. A concrete crypt follows as savings permit. Over aperiod of years, the mausoleum is constructed. These mausoleums are small masterpieces of Mexicanfunerary architecture. The perimeter is defined by a wooden or wrought-iron fence. Pots of flowers or liveplantings occupy the area inside the fence. The walls are finished with stucco and painted a vivid pink,yellow, or blue. Christ on the cross watches over the deceased from the peak of the clay tile roof. Inside themausoleum one finds a shrine to the departed, with urns of flowers and a few candles bracketing a photo ofthe deceased. Inscribed on the wall above is an often heartrending remembrance, written by the survivors.

These personal, anguished expressions of grief bring tears to the eyes of the reader. Gradually, an answeris revealed to a question that had formed during our meanderings.

Why did a town with so few financial resources devote so much money and effort to its dead? Tounderstand the answer, one must first understand that in Mexican culture, the family is everything. Eachdeath represents an acute loss on many levels. We decide that these gravesites are, at least in part, amonument to the importance of each living member of the extended family. It certainly took their combinedresources to fashion these memorials.