The United Fruit Co.

When the trumpet sounded, it was all prepared on the earth, the Jehovah parcelled out the earth to Coca Cola, Inc., Anaconda, Ford Motors, and other entities: The Fruit Company, Inc. reserved for itself the most succulent, the central coast of my own land, the delicate waist of America. It rechristened its territories as the … Read more

Your Feet

When I cannot look at your face I look at your feet. Your feet of arched bone, your hard little feet. I know that they support you, and that your sweet weight rises upon them. Your waist and your breasts, the doubled purple of your nipples, the sockets of your eyes that have just flown … Read more

The Fear

They all ask me to jumpto invigorate and to play soccer, to run, to swim and to fly. Very well. They all advise me rest, they all send me to the doctor, looking at me a certain way. What happens? They all advise me to travel, to come and to leave, to stay, to die … Read more

The Weary One

The weary one, orphanof the masses, the self,the crushed one, the one made of concrete,the one without a country in crowded restaurants,he who wanted to go far away, always farther away,didn’t know what to do there, whether he wantedor didn’t want to leave or remain on the island,the hesitant one, the hybrid, entangled in himself,had … Read more

Your Hands

When your hands leaptowards mine, love,what do they bring me in flight?Why did they stopat my lips, so suddenly,why do I know them,as if once before,I have touched them,as if, before being,they travelledmy forehead, my waist?Their smoothness camewinging through time,over the sea and the smoke,over the Spring,and when you laidyour hands on my chestI knew … Read more

The Fickle One

My eyes went away from meFollowing a dark girl who went by. She was made of black motherofpearlMade of darkpurple grapes,And she lashed my bloodWith her tail of fire. After them all I go. A pale blonde went byLike a golden plantSwaying her gifts.And my mouth wentLike a waveDischarging on her breastLightningbolts of blood. After … Read more

The White Mans Burden

Lost in the forest, I broke off a dark twigand lifted its whisper to my thirsty lips:maybe it was the voice of the rain crying,a cracked bell, or a torn heart. Something from far off it seemeddeep and secret to me, hidden by the earth,a shout muffled by huge autumns,by the moist half-open darkness of … Read more

Your Laughter

Take bread away from me, if you wish,take air away, butdo not take from me your laughter. Do not take away the rose,the lance flower that you pluck,the water that suddenlybursts forth in joy,the sudden waveof silver born in you. My struggle is harsh and I come backwith eyes tiredat times from having seenthe unchanging … Read more

Ode to Maize

America, from a grainof maize you grewto crownwith spacious landsthe ocean foam.A grain of maize was your geography.From the graina green lance rose,was covered with gold,to grace the heightsof Peru with its yellow tassels. But, poet, lethistory rest in its shroud;praise with your lyrethe grain in its granaries:sing to the simple maize in the kitchen. … Read more

So that you will hear me

So that you will hear memy wordssometimes grow thinas the tracks of the gulls on the beaches. Necklace, drunken bellfor your hands smooth as grapes. And I watch my words from a long way off.They are more yours than mine.They climb on my old suffering like ivy. It climbs the same way on damp walls.You … Read more