La Orotava Author to Present Book of Décimas

What draws me to the décima is its beautiful sound. Even with just ten lines, it allows for a lot of expression, giving thoughts a sense of completeness and pleasing the ear. This is true even though it's quite challenging, with very strict rules for rhyme and rhythm, but that difficulty is part of the appeal.

This is how Enrique Hernández Báez, born in La Orotava in 1959, explains his passion for writing, which he says came to him later in life. He also explains the origin of his book, "Décimas con segundas," which he will present on November 26th at 7:00 PM in the main hall of the La Orotava City Council.

Enrique Hernández Báez, who graduated in Pharmacy from the University of La Laguna in 1982 but never practiced, began working at the Caja General de Ahorros de Canarias (later CajaCanarias) in 1985 at the age of 25. From 1991 until his early retirement in 2013, he managed several of its branches.

"I've loved reading since I was very young," he told DIARIO DE AVISOS. "Perhaps that's where the groundwork for writing was laid, but I didn't start writing regularly until about seven or eight years ago. I'd written a few things before, but without any serious ambition."

According to the biographical note in "Décimas con segundas," his first real encounter with the décima form was in 2017, almost by chance. He began using this poetic structure to comment on daily life and anecdotes from the hiking groups he joined.

Then, two years ago, at the suggestion of Miguel Ángel Morales Mora, a teacher from La Gomera living in Candelaria, he joined a WhatsApp group where members share their décima poems. "And so, along with Miguel, Ana María Noda Felipe, another poet from La Gomera, and other colleagues," the review states, "I began writing almost every day."

"I gathered poem after poem until I felt I had enough material to publish a book, simply so people could see what I write," explains the author. He notes that the book contains over 300 décimas, with just as many left out of this first publication.

"Normally, once I finish a décima, I don't revisit it because I consider it complete," he says. "However, on rare occasions, when I reread it, I realise I could have expressed something differently and I'll make a change. But the main effort in putting this book together, besides selecting the poems, has been to arrange them so they flow together, so the décimas don't feel disconnected."

The structure that gives order and continuity to "Décimas con segundas" is built around several themes: humour, love (and friendship), and heartbreak. "Then there's a section I've called 'glosas'," the author explains. "This involves choosing a short poem, either mine or by another writer, and then writing four décimas where the final line matches the chosen short poem."

Finally, "Décimas con segundas" includes a miscellaneous section for décimas that don't fit into the previous themes, covering topics like social issues or environmental concerns, among others. "Some of the décimas relate to current events, to things that inspire me to write, but the vast majority are timeless. They can be just as relevant today as they will be in 50 years."