Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Miguel Iriarte

HOLY WEEK OF MY MOUTH

Only your repeated absence is left.
That is all I have.
You who disappear, who vanish
In the gust of trade-wind shaking my branches.
Air saying nothing.
River breeze always drowned.

Every time you lose yourself in me
I find you closer to the center of my dreams
More sunken in the red pit of my blood
Farther from my hands
That would like to touch you.

It is because of that I dream.
To arrange the faulty reality
Of not having you
To re-repair God’s
Terrible slips in his business.
To reach you before death
A film of time
On the glossy skin of night.

We are untouchable couples
Facing the raised curtain
From where the gnomes of desire look at us
Gazing from afar on the ancient sea of Taganga
Out of the clear mirador high up
Out of the eye of a fish that sees us there
Both placed for a hunger previous to all thirst.
And absent however
In the strange ceremony of oblivion.

Living portrait of this sea
For consumption of the eyes of my soul
The same eyes with which I look at you
Every time I want to see you and do not see you.
Deserted mirror of burning salt
Landscape in which my innards sail.

You will be able, now that you know about my wandering
In the happy pain of poetry,
Now that I go in easy flight from the void of sleep
To my silences, and vice-versa,
You will be able, I repeat,
To understand at last that the quietest love
Does not have to be the lesser one.

Let me find you,
Lost medicine for my shortness of breath
Let me place my hands on you
Twin virgin,
Identical goddess to whom I say my prayers
Sweet dark tropical syrup
Plum honey
For the holy week of my mouth.

SEMANA SANTA DE MI BOCA

SEMANA SANTA DE MI BOCA

Sólo queda tu ausencia repetida.
Es eso todo lo que tengo.
Tú que desapareces, que te esfumas
En la ráfaga alisia que estremece mis ramas.
Aire que nada dice.
Brisa del río que viene siempre ahogada.

Cada vez que te pierdes de mí
Más cercana del centro de mis sueños yo te encuentro
Más hundida en el pozo rojo de mi sangre
Más lejana de mis manos
Que quisieran tocarte.

Por eso sueño.
Para ordenar la defectuosa realidad
De no tenerte
Para recomponerle a Dios
Los terribles descuidos de su oficio.
Para llegar a ti primero que la muerte
Película de tiempo
Sobre la piel lustrosa de la noche.

Parejas intocables somos
frente a un telón abierto
Desde donde nos miran los duendes del deseo
Asomados distantes al mar antiguo de Taganga
Desde el claro mirador de las alturas
Desde el ojo de un pez que nos ve allí
Puestos los dos para un hambre anterior a toda sed.
Y sin embargo ausentes
En la extraña ceremonia del olvido.

Pintura viva de este mar
Para el consumo de mis ojos del alma
Con los mismos que te miro
Siempre que quiero verte y no te veo.
Espejo desierto de una sal que arde
Paisaje en el que navegan mis adentros.

Podrás, ahora que ya sabes de mí andar
En el feliz dolor de la poesía
Que voy en vuelo fácil de la nada del sueño
a mis silencios, y viceversa,
Podrás, repito,
Entender por fin que un amor por más callado
No tiene que ser menor amor.

Déjate hallar,
Perdida medicina de mí ahogo
Déjame ponerte las manos encima
Virgen gemela
Idéntica deidad a la que van mis rezos dirigidos
Dulce moreno de trópico de almíbar
Miel de ciruelas
Para la semana santa de mi boca.
Close

HOLY WEEK OF MY MOUTH

Only your repeated absence is left.
That is all I have.
You who disappear, who vanish
In the gust of trade-wind shaking my branches.
Air saying nothing.
River breeze always drowned.

Every time you lose yourself in me
I find you closer to the center of my dreams
More sunken in the red pit of my blood
Farther from my hands
That would like to touch you.

It is because of that I dream.
To arrange the faulty reality
Of not having you
To re-repair God’s
Terrible slips in his business.
To reach you before death
A film of time
On the glossy skin of night.

We are untouchable couples
Facing the raised curtain
From where the gnomes of desire look at us
Gazing from afar on the ancient sea of Taganga
Out of the clear mirador high up
Out of the eye of a fish that sees us there
Both placed for a hunger previous to all thirst.
And absent however
In the strange ceremony of oblivion.

Living portrait of this sea
For consumption of the eyes of my soul
The same eyes with which I look at you
Every time I want to see you and do not see you.
Deserted mirror of burning salt
Landscape in which my innards sail.

You will be able, now that you know about my wandering
In the happy pain of poetry,
Now that I go in easy flight from the void of sleep
To my silences, and vice-versa,
You will be able, I repeat,
To understand at last that the quietest love
Does not have to be the lesser one.

Let me find you,
Lost medicine for my shortness of breath
Let me place my hands on you
Twin virgin,
Identical goddess to whom I say my prayers
Sweet dark tropical syrup
Plum honey
For the holy week of my mouth.

HOLY WEEK OF MY MOUTH

Only your repeated absence is left.
That is all I have.
You who disappear, who vanish
In the gust of trade-wind shaking my branches.
Air saying nothing.
River breeze always drowned.

Every time you lose yourself in me
I find you closer to the center of my dreams
More sunken in the red pit of my blood
Farther from my hands
That would like to touch you.

It is because of that I dream.
To arrange the faulty reality
Of not having you
To re-repair God’s
Terrible slips in his business.
To reach you before death
A film of time
On the glossy skin of night.

We are untouchable couples
Facing the raised curtain
From where the gnomes of desire look at us
Gazing from afar on the ancient sea of Taganga
Out of the clear mirador high up
Out of the eye of a fish that sees us there
Both placed for a hunger previous to all thirst.
And absent however
In the strange ceremony of oblivion.

Living portrait of this sea
For consumption of the eyes of my soul
The same eyes with which I look at you
Every time I want to see you and do not see you.
Deserted mirror of burning salt
Landscape in which my innards sail.

You will be able, now that you know about my wandering
In the happy pain of poetry,
Now that I go in easy flight from the void of sleep
To my silences, and vice-versa,
You will be able, I repeat,
To understand at last that the quietest love
Does not have to be the lesser one.

Let me find you,
Lost medicine for my shortness of breath
Let me place my hands on you
Twin virgin,
Identical goddess to whom I say my prayers
Sweet dark tropical syrup
Plum honey
For the holy week of my mouth.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère