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Fix your eyes where the lonely sun sets in the immense sea.

Miguel de Unamuno


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Saturday, April 26th, 2014

🦋 Readings for week 2

I'm finding this week's readings for the Universidad Desconocida much more engaging than last week's. Check it out:

  1. Fernando Pessoa, "Poema de canción sobre la esperanza"
  2. T.S. Eliot, "Burnt Norton"
  3. Anna Akhmatova, "Réquiem"
  4. Eugenio Montale, "Sestear palido y absorto"
  5. Federico García Lorca, "Romance de la luna"
  6. Jacques Prévert, "Para hacer el retrato de un pájaro"
  7. Robert Desnos, "Tanto soñé contigo"
  8. Luis Cernuda, "Si el hombre pudiera decir lo que ama"
  9. W.H. Auden, "Musée des beaux artes" (in a beatiful translation by José Emilio Pacheco)
  10. Miguel Hernández, "El niño yuntero"
  11. Dylan Thomas, "And Death Shall Have No Dominion"
  12. Paul Celan, "Todesfugue"
  13. Philip Larkin, "This Be the Verse" (another quite excellent translation, by Enrique Winter)
  14. Wislawa Szymborska, "Lectura"

posted afternoon of April 26th, 2014: Respond
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Thursday, April 24th, 2014

🦋 la Universidad Desconocida: week 1

Had a little trouble following the discussion of the readings in more than fragments. Read a classmate's beautiful poem "Lullaby for insomniacs," remembering and mourning for her mother. I presented my poem "un ejercicia en la forma pronominal" and got some really valuable notes. The title is not really a title to speak of and the quote from Leiris needs to go -- Enrique Winter recommended I cut a few lines at the end.

But people really seemed to appreciate the poem and find it amusing. Ran out of time before we could read another classmate's poem, I'm going to read that now.

posted evening of April 24th, 2014: Respond
➳ More posts about Roberto Bolaño

Saturday, April 19th, 2014

🦋 Versos bíblicos: Poemario

I've started putting together a chapbook of poems based on Biblical verses -- using as a core the poems I've been posting lately under the tag book:bible. It's looking interesting! I'll present the chapbook at the taller de poesía en la Universidad Desconocida. The contents (currently -- I am hoping to write at least one more poem this weekend):

  1. "Profetizarse" -- quotes from Genesis, John. Invocation of God asking for His Word.
  2. "Caminos de la carne y del Espíritu" -- quotes from Romans, Psalms. Dialog between flesh and Spirit.
  3. "Vete y haz lo mismo" -- quotes from Luke. Meditation on the parable of the good Samaritan.
  4. "Tíramela" -- quotes from Leviticus, John. Meditation on casting the first stone.
  5. (untitled) -- quote from Ecclesiastes.
  6. "insensible" -- quote from Matthew.
  7. (untitled) -- Meditation on prophesy with reference to Joel.
  8. "Esqueleto" -- Meditation on prophesy.
  9. "Lo que diría la esposa de Lot" by Karen Finneyfrock.

posted morning of April 19th, 2014: 1 response
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Thursday, April 17th, 2014

🦋 descanse en paz, Gabo

“Gracias, maestro Gabo. Viaja tranquilo, que seguirán vivo entre nosotros”.

-- Jaime Abello Banfi

posted evening of April 17th, 2014: Respond
➳ More posts about Gabriel García Márquez

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

🦋 Flesh, Spirit

Reading "Canto de guerra de las cosas" last week I was struck again by the epigraph and decided to read the 8th chapter of Romans. Here are two poems (one I started writing in Spanish and finished in English, and one I started writing in English and finished in Spanish) based on a few verses from that.

The Ways of Flesh and Spirit

by J Osner

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 8

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23

I will not walk forth
in the ways of the flesh
but in the ways of the Spirit. I will not
subject myself to the law of sin
and of death. For both
are of the flesh, which is not I --
though I'm living now, this moment,
in a lump of flesh. I'll walk
my pathway of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus, this lump
will come along for the ride.

I'm flesh which must follow
the law of sin and death --
would be no question
of walking
in any other ways
but the ways of the flesh,
for I am flesh. Will fear
no evil, for you will be with me.

And so we'll walk forth together
flesh and Spirit,
side by side
--indeed inside!--
along our separate paths
of Self and Other.

Romanos 8

por J Osner

Carne, te estoy adentro de vos
Tus sensaciones y reacciones
Son las mías. Cuando eructás
Soy yo el que me debo excusar.
Distraeme por tu hambre
Y por tu satisfacción.
Intimidame por tus anhelos;
No los voy a reconocer. Voy
A andarme conforme al Espíritu
De vida en Cristo Jesús y me retraeré
De vos y tu concepción asquerosa
Del mundo, tu valle
De la sombra del Mal
y del Muerto.

posted evening of April 10th, 2014: Respond
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Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

🦋 El samaritano

Vete y haz lo mimo

por J Osner

26 Él le dijo: ¿Qué está escrito en la ley? ¿Cómo lees?
27 Aquél, respondiendo, dijo: Amarás al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, y con toda tu alma, y con todas tus fuerzas, y con toda tu mente y a tu prójimo como a ti mismo.
28 Y le dijo: Bien has respondido; haz esto, y vivirás.
San Lucas 10

véndale las heridas al prójimo. Oye
sus gritos, y responde. Haz
lo que puedes. Lo reconoce
como compañero, como
parecido ser humano
ten en común

siente la affinidad con el otro
esta chispa de conexión
se eleva
se genera
funciona para todo
cada prójimo considerando al prójimo
como amigo

posted afternoon of March 23rd, 2014: Respond
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Saturday, March 22nd, 2014

🦋 Lines and pairs of lines

Do you have a favorite line or couple of lines of a poem, that serve to communicate in microcosm the sense (however loosely or impressionistically defined) of the containing poem? I'd love if you would post them in comments.

A couple to get things started, here and in comments...

posted morning of March 22nd, 2014: 1 response

🦋 Tíramela

Tíramela

por J Osner

13 Si alguno se acuesta con varón como los que se acuestan con mujer, los dos han cometido abominación; ciertamente han de morir.
Levítico 20
7 Y como insistieran en preguntarle, se enderezó y les dijo: El que de vosotros esté sin pecado sea el primero en arrojar la piedra contra ella.
San Juan 8

La piedra ya arrojada
contra ella
y ¿quién sabe,
si estaría sin pecado
el tirador; si se acostaba
con varón como los que
con mujer? En todo caso
comete abominación. El templo
hecho de cristal
ya se rompe en pedazos.

posted morning of March 22nd, 2014: Respond
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Monday, March 17th, 2014

🦋 3 más

2 poemas con referencias biblicas --

No me parece tan necesario
Estar siempre listo
Para lo que venga;
Mejor, pienso, que se deje
Sorprender
Y hasta confundir
Por lo nuevo.
Mejor, pienso, volver,
Y otra vez volver,
En este momento señalado
Para toda cosa
Debajo del sol.


insensible
por The Modesto Kid

insensible
como las cenizas
a la llama

arde

y miro la paja en el ojo ajeno
y no atiendo la viga en el mío propio

ayúdame a mí, por favor --
me desespero
tengo viga en el ojo
lo reconozco
¿es ceniza? ¿es llama? arde.
ilumina

espérame a mí momento, por favor --
espera
a confesarme

inmediato,
instantáneo

arde.


...y uno sino:

Vuelve ahora atrás,
quien me una vez
ávidamente buscó:
me persigue,
quien iba corriendo.

posted evening of March 17th, 2014: 1 response

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

🦋 Mateo 7

3 Y, ¿por qué miras la paja que está en el ojo de tu hermano,
y no echas de ver la viga que está en tu propio ojo?

4 O, ¿cómo dirás a tu hermano: Déjame sacar la paja de tu ojo,
y he aquí la viga en tu propio ojo?

5 ¡Hipócrita! Saca primero la viga de tu propio ojo,
y entonces verás bien para sacar la paja del ojo de tu hermano.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;
and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

posted afternoon of March 9th, 2014: 1 response

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