Lima,
City with the Stretched out Wings
It's an ink-black night: no stars: a moon in sight
Just dots of: red, green and white-white lights
As the plane descends, descends, slides down
On the long-drawn-out-spun-out lingering city of lights
Uneven as a crumbled cake, lit up like a Christmas tree-
The sleepless city, with its stretched out wings
Stretching from the mountains to the sea-
Winding through the valley's, forests, and streams
Stretches, stretches its naked wings-endlessly
As,
I'm descending, down, over and around the city
(descending, descending, and sliding to the ground)
The city with stretched out wings-and endless lights
Down, behind, around, the ground, it's immune to me
I'm just part of its evening, a baptism in its inky sea
Invisible people: cats, dogs, birds, and rats-infinite
Uncountable: dots; streams of lit dots, dot-lights;
People: walking, talking, sleeping, eating by the dots
People: waiting, killing, robbing, praying, by the dots
For tomorrow, tomorrow and another tomorrow
They say-:
you are ruthless, and I know this to be true
And they tell me you have thieves and murders-
And this, I dare say-but shall-is also true, very true
But show me a city to the contrary of eight-million-?
I shake my fist and say: '?show me! But no one does'
So alive, so brave, with strong and hungry hearts;
I say, show me one that sings in poverty and smiles
Prove me one that celebrates year-round of its heroes
Show me painters that are as good-that sell on streets-
As good as: Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, and Yang Yang
And that welcomes the world with stretched out arms-
Show me all this, or some of this, and I will say no more
With this,
I descend to its streets, its crowed winding streets
As well as, to its neighborhoods with dust and soiled air,
And hear the laughs of the children; the dogs on roofs
Sights of the shoe-shiners: men and boys, in the parks
And the numerous food carts; -- musicians, paper sellers
And with its naked featherless wings, covering all
-My Lima, Peru with its renowned Cathedral:
Golden yellow with towering crowns, and
Within its plaza-square, a water fountain-celebrated.
Under its sins, with its wrinkled aged men, lovely women,
They all stand tall and bow to its Inca history, its glory-
Its world that once ruled all, like the Roman Empire,
Like the American Dream, they were the noble, the kings
And now, from drudgery and toil, sweat and strive, all, all Grinding, grinding away, each and everyday, lover of the, King of Kings: Jesus Christ-this is the Lima I know today; a mighty ship that has already sailed the seven seas, now resting!?
Spanish Version
Lima,
La ciudad con las alas extendidas
Translated by Rosa Pe?aloza
Esta es una noche oscura: no estrellas, ni luna a la vista
Solo puntos: rojo, verde y blanco?luces blancas
Mientras que el avi?n desciende, desciende, bajando
A la larga-extendida-plana persistente ciudad de luces
Plana como un panqueque, encendida como un ?rbol de navidad-
La despierta ciudad, con sus alas extendidas
Extendidas desde las monta?as hacia el oc?ano
Zigzagueante a trav?s de los valles, bosques y riachuelos
Estirando, estirando sus alas desnudas-interminables
Mientras,
Voy descendiendo, abajo, por encima y alrededor de la ciudad
(Descendiendo, descendiendo, y desliz?ndose a la tierra)
La ciudad con las alas extendidas-y luces interminables
Abajo, Abajo, detr?s, alrededor, la tierra, es inmune a m?
S?lo soy parte de esta noche, un bautizado en su oscuro oc?ano
Invisible: gente, gatos, perros, p?jaros, y ratas, infinidad
Incontables: puntos, riachuelos de luz, puntos de luz;
Gente: caminando, conversando, durmiendo, comiendo bajo los puntos de luz
Gente: esperando, matando, robando, rezando bajo los puntos de luz
Por ma?ana, ma?ana y otro ma?ana
Ellos dicen--:
Tu eres implacable, y yo se que esto es verdad
Y ellos me dicen t? tienes ladrones, y muertes-
Y esto, me atrevo a decir, que esto tambi?n es cierto, muy cierto
Pero mu?strame una ciudad de ocho millones contraria --?
Sacudo mis pu?os y digo: "?mu?strame," pero nadie lo hace
Tan viva, tan valerosa, con corazones fuertes y hambrientos:
Digo, mu?strame una que canta en pobreza, y sonr?e
Pru?bame una como esa, que celebra alrededor del a?o a sus h?roes
Mu?strame pintores tan buenos-que venden en las calles-
Tan buenos como: Picasso, Dali, Rembrant y Yang Yang
Y que recibe al mundo con extendidos brazos
Mu?strame todo esto, o algo de esto, y no dir? mas
Con esto,
Desciendo a sus calles, atiborrada, zigzagueantes calles
As? como su raro vecindario con polvo en el aire
Y oigo la risa de los ni?os, los perros en los techos
Vista de los lustrabotas, hombres y muchachos, en los parques
Y los numerosos carros de comida, m?sicos y vendedores de peri?dicos
Y con su desnuda y desplumadas alas, cubriendo todo
-Mi Lima, Per?, con su renombrada catedral:
Amarilla dorada con su coronadas torres, y
Dentro de su plaza cuadrada, una celebrada pileta
Bajo su piel, con sus arrugados ancianos, tiernas mujeres,
Todos ellos parados altos, y reverenciando a su historia inca, su
gloria-
Su mundo que una vez gobern? todo, como el Imperio Romano
Como el sue?o de Am?rica, ellos fueron los nobles, los reyes
Y ahora de pesadez, y esfuerzo, sudor, lucha, todos, todos extenuados, fatigados, este y cada d?a, amantes del Rey de los Reyes: Jesucristo-esta es la Lima que conozco, hoy; un poderoso barco que ya naveg? los siete mares, ahora descansando?
Author/Poet Dennis Siluk, web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
cleaning team near Mundelein ..During interviews and general conversations with the public,one of the... Read More
There are many times I set up barriers and walls,... Read More
Blind DesignsBorn today, gone tomorrow Like a butterfly with no... Read More
No one should have to beg or crawl before humanity.... Read More
Time goes by to quickly to hold your feelings inside... Read More
BoyhoodOh me! Thy glorious days have flown! I mealy noticed,... Read More
The Poet's Corner [Three poem/ see review of poetry under... Read More
Since my wife and I are moving, or preparing to... Read More
What do you do when you want to write poetry?... Read More
The Monster Mash The Graveyard SmashHave you heard of the... Read More
Hammers. Timbers. Iron. Steel.They're laying down a mighty keel.As ant-like... Read More
English VersionThe Merchant of Copan [480 AD]Advance: The ballgame at... Read More
Explore the meaning of poetry and the motivation of poets... Read More
"Song of the Great Zimbabwe"Across the African, winter's skyIn the... Read More
YOU MIGHT THINK I AM STRONGI THINK YOU GOT IT... Read More
Amy King Antidotes for an Alibi BlazeVox Books ISBN 0-9759227-5-0... Read More
What can I do to keep this world in its... Read More
You can show your poem to your mom, your spouse,... Read More
Charlotte Bronte (1816 ?1855) Novelist and Poet.Charlotte was the daughter... Read More
The light of all eternity shines with me now /... Read More
Have you ever sat there staring at the paper, ready... Read More
JOINEDHeart beat of man pounding - yet unheard joined... Read More
In Poetry: Meaning of WordsWhen I write poetry, I check... Read More
Bells for Belphegor!...Where immortal veils never meet Belphegor, Arch devil... Read More
Real Power.One Tsunami, and all our armies, Seem belittled by... Read More
move out cleaning service Park Ridge ..YOU MIGHT THINK I AM STRONGI THINK YOU GOT IT... Read More
It's dark, it's cold, its' just six thirty,thoughts of sleep... Read More
[As Told by the Last] King: it was in the... Read More
I never met a man, who could shake my hand,... Read More
Ed Gallagher Dec. 11, 1907 - Sept. 5, 2004This poem... Read More
Burning Autumn Leaves [1950s in St. Paul, Minnesota]My long steel... Read More
Cesar Vallejo: Black RosesBow down your head ol' poet- To... Read More
Frog SummerSummer grows hot, for the New-blooded frogs; The bugs... Read More
Since Mohamed Ali?then Cassius Clay?announced that he had written "The... Read More
#25The King and Delka [Split Mawkishness-on Moiromma /Part V]Sickly SentimentalityI... Read More
I never thought I would have to say GOODBYE to... Read More
"All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."--Oscar WildePeople write poetry... Read More
Way of Life: Rhymes of the IncaPizarro (Spanish conquistador ((1525))The... Read More
Robert Burns, a poor man, an educated man, and a... Read More
Poet Stephen B. Wiley's first book of poetry, Hero Island,... Read More
There are many times I set up barriers and walls,... Read More
The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More
now is not the time to open open that great... Read More
Advance: in Mr. Siluk's poetry one finds symbolist values, sensuous... Read More
Fair Andes! Thy arms reach highOf iron-woven solid stone Thu... Read More
In the Mountains of Haiti(In the City)-July is a hot... Read More
Amy King's first full-length collection, Antidotes for an Alibi, insists... Read More
Take some time to stop and look at nature. Pick... Read More
What do you do when you want to write poetry?... Read More
Note: written 4-15-05, while driving through the Andes of Peru,... Read More
Poetry |