Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Dining on Sweet Words

We are reading poetry by Pablo Neruda in my Humanities class right now. Neruda wrote his poetry in Spanish, so I've been trying to read a few of the Spanish versions in order to improve my Spanish comprehension. 
I LOVE POETRY!!!!
But not just any poetry...I am a sucker for a good love poem - especially if there are lines that feel really good in my mouth when I say them. That is just something I cannot explain to people - there is a literal feeling in my mouth when I say the words that lights me up inside. They are delicious to me!
I love good imagery - words, metaphors, and similes that paint a picture. 
Here is one of the poems I read today, that I especially loved:

Here I love you. 
In the dark pines the wind disentangles itself.
The moon glows like phosphorous on the vagrant waters.
Days, all one kind, go chasing each other.

The snow unfurls in dancing figures.
A silver gull slips down from the west.
Sometimes a sail. High, high stars. 
Oh the black cross of a ship.
Alone.

Sometimes I get up early and even my soul is wet.
Far away the sea sounds and resounds.
This is a port.

Here I love you.
Here I love you and the horizon hides you in vain.
I love you still among these cold things.
Sometimes my kisses go on those heavy vessels
that cross the sea towards no arrival.
I see myself forgotten like those old anchors.

The piers sadden when the afternoon moors there.
My life grows tired, hungry to no purpose.
I love what I do not have. You are so far.
My loathing wrestles with the slow twilights.
But night comes and starts to sing to me.

The moon turns its clockwork dream.
The biggest stars look at me with your eyes.
And as I love you, the pines in the wind
want to sing your name with their leaves of wire.

Wow...right? Maybe poetry isn't your thing and that is alright. It doesn't jive with everybody, but somehow it speaks to me...the image of his soul being wet, the snow dancing, and his sending kisses on the boats traveling without the promise of arrival are especially delicious. 

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