Poem
Ángela García
THE OLD WOMAN in her chair
THE OLD WOMAN in her chairlooked carefully at the keys
poking deep into her memory
To open up her memory
each key was a key-image
“I used to know what each key opened
but now I don’t remember”
she muttered as if I were only
in her head
I trembled at the thought that they could be used
to open a hidden palace
“Nor do you remember the locks,
the drawers, the doors
or even recall where they were”
I said voicelessly
Everything returns to the shadows
but you have the keys
There are no more secrets
for everything returns to the mystery
But you have the keys
although you don’t remember now
© Translation: 2008, Nicolás Suescún
THE OLD WOMAN in her chair
LA ANCIANA en su silla
escrutaba las llaves una a una
escarbando en su recuerdo
Para abrir su memoria
cada llave era una imagen-clave
-Antes sabía qué abría cada llave
Ahora no me acuerdo-
murmuraba como si yo no estuviera más
que en su cabeza
Temblé al pensar que con ellas
abría su palacio escondido
-Ni recuerdas las cerraduras
gavetas, puertas
ni recuerdas dónde estaban-
Dije sin voz
Todo vuelve a la sombra
pero tú tienes las llaves
Ya no hay más secretos
pues todo vuelve al misterio
Pero tienes sus llaves
aunque ahora no recuerdas
escrutaba las llaves una a una
escarbando en su recuerdo
Para abrir su memoria
cada llave era una imagen-clave
-Antes sabía qué abría cada llave
Ahora no me acuerdo-
murmuraba como si yo no estuviera más
que en su cabeza
Temblé al pensar que con ellas
abría su palacio escondido
-Ni recuerdas las cerraduras
gavetas, puertas
ni recuerdas dónde estaban-
Dije sin voz
Todo vuelve a la sombra
pero tú tienes las llaves
Ya no hay más secretos
pues todo vuelve al misterio
Pero tienes sus llaves
aunque ahora no recuerdas
© 2003, Ángela García
From: Sobre la Fugacidad
Publisher: Aura Latina, Malmö
From: Sobre la Fugacidad
Publisher: Aura Latina, Malmö
Poems
Poems of Ángela García
Close
THE OLD WOMAN in her chair
THE OLD WOMAN in her chairlooked carefully at the keys
poking deep into her memory
To open up her memory
each key was a key-image
“I used to know what each key opened
but now I don’t remember”
she muttered as if I were only
in her head
I trembled at the thought that they could be used
to open a hidden palace
“Nor do you remember the locks,
the drawers, the doors
or even recall where they were”
I said voicelessly
Everything returns to the shadows
but you have the keys
There are no more secrets
for everything returns to the mystery
But you have the keys
although you don’t remember now
© 2008, Nicolás Suescún
From: Sobre la Fugacidad
From: Sobre la Fugacidad
THE OLD WOMAN in her chair
THE OLD WOMAN in her chairlooked carefully at the keys
poking deep into her memory
To open up her memory
each key was a key-image
“I used to know what each key opened
but now I don’t remember”
she muttered as if I were only
in her head
I trembled at the thought that they could be used
to open a hidden palace
“Nor do you remember the locks,
the drawers, the doors
or even recall where they were”
I said voicelessly
Everything returns to the shadows
but you have the keys
There are no more secrets
for everything returns to the mystery
But you have the keys
although you don’t remember now
© 2008, Nicolás Suescún
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