and now for some p & p
Politics and Poetry… because nothing is too political and there’s never enough poetry
Like You
By Roque Dalton
(Translated by Jack Hirschman)
Like you I
love love, life, the sweet smell
of things, the sky-blue
landscape of January days.
And my blood boils up
and I laugh through eyes
that have known the buds of tears.
I believe the world is beautiful
and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.
And that my veins don’t end in me
but in the unanimous blood
of those who struggle for life,
love,
little things,
landscape and bread,
the poetry of everyone.
the bleeding horse in effigy
–john sweet
no light in the room of mirrors
and so what you see is
the truth
a man you don’t know
dragged through town on
easter morning
another pulled from the river
seven hours too late
and that this is not the age of miracles
the houses are old
and filled with poison
the baby is always sick
is forgotten in
the back seat of the car on the
hottest day of the year
is found hidden away beneath
the kitchen sink
and this means whatever you want it to
god is the only truth or god is a lie
and then the mother sits up in
her bloodsoaked bed and
denies everything
she drives her car into the pond
then walks back to shore
waves good-bye to her sons
goes to find her lover
lays her head on his lap
like a good dog and smiles