Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Luís Miguel Nava

Stakes

My body’s bones are planted in the desert, every single one of them.
They stand straight out of the desert sands, all lined up, one after another.
To speak of a skeleton would be absurd.
My skin, for its part, was buried and has been walked over. Fancy that. My skin, which once waved high like a flag, almost a crown . . .
The wind holds my vertebra in its grip. Even the sun shining between them is bare-boned, a desert sun, infused with the desert.
Maybe we could wash this desert, or perhaps tie it up, gag it. My skin guarantees this space. As for the rest, we’ll see.

Estacas

Estacas

Os meus ossos estão espetados no deserto, não há um só no meu corpo que lhe escape.
Cravados todos eles na areia do deserto, uns a seguir aos outros, alinhados.
Seria absurdo falar-se de esqueleto.
A pele foi entretanto soterrada, há quem já tenha caminhado em cima
dela. Quem diria? A pele, outrora hasteada, uma bandeira, quase uma coroa.
O vento apoderou-se-me das vértebras. O próprio sol que entre elas
brilha é descarnado, um sol deserto, onde o deserto penetrou.
Talvez pudéssemos lavá-lo, este deserto, quem sabe, ou amarrá-lo,
amordaçá-lo. A pele garante o espaço, o resto logo se veria.
Close

Stakes

My body’s bones are planted in the desert, every single one of them.
They stand straight out of the desert sands, all lined up, one after another.
To speak of a skeleton would be absurd.
My skin, for its part, was buried and has been walked over. Fancy that. My skin, which once waved high like a flag, almost a crown . . .
The wind holds my vertebra in its grip. Even the sun shining between them is bare-boned, a desert sun, infused with the desert.
Maybe we could wash this desert, or perhaps tie it up, gag it. My skin guarantees this space. As for the rest, we’ll see.

Stakes

My body’s bones are planted in the desert, every single one of them.
They stand straight out of the desert sands, all lined up, one after another.
To speak of a skeleton would be absurd.
My skin, for its part, was buried and has been walked over. Fancy that. My skin, which once waved high like a flag, almost a crown . . .
The wind holds my vertebra in its grip. Even the sun shining between them is bare-boned, a desert sun, infused with the desert.
Maybe we could wash this desert, or perhaps tie it up, gag it. My skin guarantees this space. As for the rest, we’ll see.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère