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About this quote

What does it mean?
The poet found deep joy in the empathy shown by his captor during his sentencing. The warden wept at the death sentence.
In plain terms
I was happy that my captor cried when reading my death sentence.
What can you take from it?
Empathy from an enemy can bring profound comfort in dark moments.

Where it applies

  • legal proceedings
  • imprisonment
  • personal crisis

Putting it to work

  • seeking reconciliation
  • documenting injustice
  • finding humanity

Questions to consider

  • When has an enemy shown you unexpected humanity?
  • Is empathy enough to counteract injustice?

Another view

Such moments are rare and do not change the reality of the sentence.

More from Jose Marti

  1. Wings I saw springing from fair women's shoulders, and from beneath rubble I've seen butterflies flutter.

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  2. I know that when the world surrenders, pallid, to repose, the murmur of a tranquil stream through the deep silence flows.

    Permalink to quote #47
  3. I come from all places and to all places I go: I am art among the arts and mountain among mountains. I know the strange names of flowers and herbs and of fatal…

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