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From Loteria Jarocha, by Alec Dempster, published by The Porcupine's Quill in 2013.
This poem arrived, by mistake, in a pile of entries to a Geist poetry contest.
The bells ring again and the cars arrive, day after day—same hour, different hour What do I care! The bells ring again and I am on the street and promenade, not lost and not found The butterflies are alive and moving. I move from one scent to another. I am not lost and not found These young whippersnappers (los loquillos) They have no memory! They sniff and go crazy. These young ones sometimes take my spot, They are rude and have no stories They have no nose! Once I was El Toro… (she sees me but there would be a fight and no one wants that now) I am not lost, yet not found The young butterflies practise flight and grow strong. They are moving… I will ask them to strap me on their backs and I will ride the wind But… I know I am too heavy and I complain too much: “These straps are too tight” “Too loose” “The sun is too close, the moon too far away” “Fly closer to the ground! There are no smells up here” “I need mud in my feet and a crotch in my nose” “Land here! There’s a pile of garbage” I am here forever What do I care! and the bells ring again not lost and not found… I do remember the perfect aroma of you. I know the infinite aroma of you all.
Comments (1)
Comment Feedsong of the old dog
Pat Newson more than 10 years ago