SECTION NINE
  POETRY PAGE TWO   

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COLUMN FIFTY-TWO, OCTOBER 1, 2000
(Copyright © 2000 Al Aronowitz)


(Photo by Carlos Arturo Puerta)

[From Colombia's celebrated poet, Raúl Henao of Medellin, here's another poem in Spanish, accompanied by its English translation, both from Raúl's La vida a la carta or Life a la carte.]

EN HUECO

Una mañana desperté en hueco

No quedaba el más ligero rastro de mí en
la habitación  

Mi cuerpo tomaba indistintamente la forma
del objeto que tenia a la mano  

No alcanzaba a mirarme al espejo

Ni siquiera hallaba el fondo de mis bolsillos

Ni un solo cabello desprendido sobre la
sábana muy blanca  

Entonces abrí la puerta del cuarto:
                                                      Me había

quedado afuera.

 

* * *

 

EMPTINESS  

One morning I awoke empty

There remained not the slightest trace of me in the room

My body took indistinctly the form of whatever object
             was in reach

I did not succeed in looking at myself in the mirror

I could not even locate the bottom of my pockets
Not one single hair lay on the very white sheet  

Then I opened the room door:
                                 I had left myself outside.

(Translated by Philip West)  ##

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