Friday, May 13, 2011

when life is happens, blogging doesn't

it seems as though i am over due for an update, again.
since i last wrote i have traveled to Kansas C ity to visit my dearest Lindsay, spent a flash of time in Philly and New York, returned to seattle, started working for a bicycling house cleaning service, and got accepted into a nursing program at NYU. phew.
in sum: i will be moving to New York City in three months and my legs are starting to feel/look like the guy's from Triplets of Belleville.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Complejo Habitacional

por Isabel Fraire

I

la mañana surge lentamente como un vapor que se eleva

y se difunde en el aire

cruza los cuadros de verde pasto

saltando corriendo saltando

un niño

con una bolsa de mandado en la mano

II

los edificios de departamentos

presentan superficies planas rectangulares

ventanas contraventanas grises

que se cierran o abren

como tapas

cada cuarto una caja

el jardín de pasto listo y verde como alfombra recién comprada

está encuadrado por filas regulares de árboles idénticos

se arrojan una sombra continua

como la de un muro

III

aquí nadie se habla me dice una vecina

que después de un año

ha roto con la regla

a horas previsibles

dos o tres viejos y una niña

sacan a pasear sus respectivos perros

uno de ellos acostumbra

soltarle la cadena

los otros se detienen

cada vez

que se detiene el perro

IV
en general reina el silencio

sólo roto por el ruido del tráfico

que aumenta notoriamente

a las horas de entrada y salida de las oficinas

pero ocasionalmente

se oye a través de las paredes

una discusión agria violenta

cargada del resentimiento

de una vida estropeada

o la música de fondo

melodramática y jadeante

de la televisión

V

a una cuadra de distancia

grandes máquinas

se ocupan de arrasar un bosquecillo

para levantar un gran conjunto de edificios

idénticos a éste


In English:


Housing Complex

I

morning rises slowly like a mist climbing

and spreading through the air

a child crosses squares of green grass

running jumping running

carrying a shopping bag in its hand

II

the apartment buildings

present flat rectangular surfaces

the windows are equipped with gray steel shutters

that open or close

like lids

each room a box

the garden of smooth green grass

like a newly bough carpet

is framed by regular rows of identical trees

casting a continuous shadow

like that of a wall

III

no one speaks to each other here a neighbor tells me

breaking the rule

after a year

at foreseeable hours

two or three old men and a child

take their respective dogs out for a walk

one of them is in the habit of

letting the dog run loose

the others stop

each time the dog stops

IV

usually silence reigns

broken only by the noise of traffic

which rises notoriously

at the hours when offices open or close

but occasionally

one hears through the walls

a bitter violent discussion

full of the resentment

of a ruined life

or the music in the background

melodramatic and wheezy

of the televsion

V

a block away

large bulldozers

busily demolish a small grove

in order to erect a mass of buildings

exactly like this one



Monday, February 21, 2011

Journaling Journey

Looking through my journal this morning I noticed that most of the winter I have been writing about winter. Here is a little word-walk through my winter.

11/22
Long cold nights
in
Large warm beds
with
Small soft dogs.

There are people talking loud outside
as if there is something to be loud about
but there is nothing.

Long dark sky
over
Many tiny voices.



1/15
When the days are dark enough
to need to read with lamplight
near a window
we know
the best is yet to come
and that, for now,
we are in those thick heavy months of ill-adjustment
relentless resistance
to being still,
and striving for the boundless hope and energy
of brighter months.

But, our eyes will adjust.
Now is not the time for busy things
or sweaty tees.
So, go ahead,stay in bed
a bit longer.

2/13
Sweet warmth of sun sitting
Crackling collisions of cold rain
crashing on the glass
like a last chance to fall.

Eve of spring.

Brightness and becoming
crocuses crouching
waiting for when
they can stretch out
their green bodies again.



That's most of the lyrical contents of this winter. The literal things, as always, take up too much space. Which is to say that there are many things I could write to explain and describe the last few months, but I won't. This should suffice.


Friday, January 21, 2011

A study in Latin American poetry

This quarter I am doing an independent study in Latin American Poetry. I am using this wonderful bilingual anthology which includes poems from throughout Latin America from pre-columbus to present. In the study I read the poetry and submit an analysis every week to the professor in spanish and this morning I am working on my first piece. I am analyzing a poem by a Venezuelan poet/philosopher/educator named Simón Rodríquez. He was somewhat obsessed with the concept of writing as painting ideas which I think is beautiful and compelling. Here is an excerpt from his poem Luces y virtues sociales/Social Virtues and Illuminations:

FORMA que se da al DISCURSO

Pintando

las ideas elementales= en Paradigma

los pensamientos=en Sinópsis

La LENGUA y la MANO

son los dotes mas preciosos del hombre (observa Buffon)

Entiéndase aquí con respeto á la

INTENCIÓN DE INSTRUIR

No se trata de la importancia de la Palabra

porque

no hay quien no la conozca

La Importancia de su PINTURA

la conocen pocos bien

muchos….ni piensan en ella

no obstante.

Se puede PINTAR sin HABLAR

pero no HABLAR sin PINTAR

Los JESTOS son un BOSQUEJO

de lo que la mano

no puede dibujar por falta

de medios o de tiempo.


JESTICULAR es pintar EN EL AIRE

En el discurso hablado

como

en el escrito debe hablar

conexión de Ideas y

conexión de pensamientos



In English:

SHAPE given to DISCOURSE

Painting

Elementary ideas= into Paradigm

Thoughts= into synopsis

The TONGUE and the HAND

are humanity's most precious gifts (notes Buffon)

Hereby understood with regard to the

INTENTION TO INSTRUCT

It concerns not the importance of the Word

for

none knows it

The Importance of its PAINTING is well known by a few

most...don't even think of it

nonetheless


One can PAINT without SPEAKING

but not SPEAK without PAINTING

GESTURES are a SKETCH

of what the hand for lack of means

cannot draw or of time


GESTURING is painting IN THE AIR

in spoken discourse

as

in the written one should speak

connection of Ideas and

connection of thoughts