Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Marcela Parra

Aesthetic experience

At the age of seven she asked her parents:

–that dog over there, is it beautiful or ugly?
–ugly.

From that day on
that dog with its worm-eaten skin
and its one remaining fang
secretly toyed with her.

It’s snout gave her some stones, and she returned with bread.

Seated in the bathroom at the age of twenty three
that chlorinated air remind her of it:

–beautiful.

Experiencia estética

Experiencia estética

Cuando tenía 7 años preguntó a sus padres:

–el perro que está ahí ¿es bonito o feo?
–feo.

Desde aquel día
ese pellejo carcomido
con su único diente
la acompañó a escondidas en el juego.

Su hocico le daba piedras y ella le daba pan.

Sentada en el baño a la edad de 23
el olor a Clorinda se lo trajo de recuerdo:

–bello.
Close

Aesthetic experience

At the age of seven she asked her parents:

–that dog over there, is it beautiful or ugly?
–ugly.

From that day on
that dog with its worm-eaten skin
and its one remaining fang
secretly toyed with her.

It’s snout gave her some stones, and she returned with bread.

Seated in the bathroom at the age of twenty three
that chlorinated air remind her of it:

–beautiful.

Aesthetic experience

At the age of seven she asked her parents:

–that dog over there, is it beautiful or ugly?
–ugly.

From that day on
that dog with its worm-eaten skin
and its one remaining fang
secretly toyed with her.

It’s snout gave her some stones, and she returned with bread.

Seated in the bathroom at the age of twenty three
that chlorinated air remind her of it:

–beautiful.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère