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Our friend Diego Cruz Lara is, among other things, a décimista. A décima is like a sonnet -- that is, a poem with a very precise rhythm and rhyme format. The style dates back to the 17th century.

In its simplest form it consists of ten lines, each with 8 syllables. The rhyme pattern is: A/B/B/A (pause) A/C/C/D/D/C. The subject matter can be tragic or comic, bitter or bawdy. Often they are put to music.

Click below to hear a décima.