Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Julio Carrasco

Small romantic improvisation

Nervousness made be bite the nail of my left ring finger
the last time I was practicing the repertoire for my piano exam

I went on playing without noticing I was bleeding
and three or four keys of the low notes got stained

My blood on the piano I said to myself
It took around five minutes for me to come back to reality

This happened a few days ago, I remembered it because
just yesterday, while I was hurrying to photocopy the forms
for a competition that was about to expire
I stapled my thumb without realising

I got confused when I saw the forms
stained with blood on the table

and I felt I should write about the time
when I fell into a reverie
looking at the piano keys
stained with my blood.

Pequeña improvisación romántica

Pequeña improvisación romántica

El nerviosismo me hizo comerme la uña del anular izquierdo
mientras revisaba por última vez el repertorio de mi examen de piano

Seguí tocando sin percatarme de que sangraba
y se mancharon tres o cuatro teclas del registro grave

Mi sangre sobre el piano me dije
Demoré unos cinco minutos en volver a la realidad

Esto sucedió hace algunos años, lo recordé porque
justo ayer, mientras fotocopiaba a la carrera los formularios
de un concurso de proyectos a punto de expirar
me corcheteé el pulgar sin darme cuenta

Caí en un lapsus al ver las páginas de los formularios
manchadas con sangre sobre la mesa de recepción

y sentí que debía escribir sobre aquella vez
cuando quedé ensimismado
mirando las teclas de un piano
manchadas con mi sangre.
Close

Small romantic improvisation

Nervousness made be bite the nail of my left ring finger
the last time I was practicing the repertoire for my piano exam

I went on playing without noticing I was bleeding
and three or four keys of the low notes got stained

My blood on the piano I said to myself
It took around five minutes for me to come back to reality

This happened a few days ago, I remembered it because
just yesterday, while I was hurrying to photocopy the forms
for a competition that was about to expire
I stapled my thumb without realising

I got confused when I saw the forms
stained with blood on the table

and I felt I should write about the time
when I fell into a reverie
looking at the piano keys
stained with my blood.

Small romantic improvisation

Nervousness made be bite the nail of my left ring finger
the last time I was practicing the repertoire for my piano exam

I went on playing without noticing I was bleeding
and three or four keys of the low notes got stained

My blood on the piano I said to myself
It took around five minutes for me to come back to reality

This happened a few days ago, I remembered it because
just yesterday, while I was hurrying to photocopy the forms
for a competition that was about to expire
I stapled my thumb without realising

I got confused when I saw the forms
stained with blood on the table

and I felt I should write about the time
when I fell into a reverie
looking at the piano keys
stained with my blood.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère