Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Raúl Henao

THE VOYAGER

What dangers lie in wait for the voyager who crosses
the garden of shoulders to cry on as night  falls? One
step forward  and the wall-clinger  who has followed
her since daybreak, will offer her that handful of
defoliated poppies  in the brew of  wintry sleep,
scarcely jarred by hunters of  the word firing their muskets
in  the  middle of  the  night: Who goes  there?  Who
goes there?




But   the  voyager  awakens  from  those  potions and
poisons to be announced by the white-bearded
chamberlain  at  the  gates  of  the sea  that seems  to  
sleep beneath  his feet like a drunken  marketplace
painter. And  what  scenes  don’t  rise up then  for  
those who still speak of freedom to the  insurgent  
armies, to the savage  gangs   of  executioners  who
erect  scaffolds over  the  face  of the  earth!... A
whisper  of  Bastilles collapsing  at   the  impending
reveille and along  the trenches of the horizon.



    In memoriam Stefan Baciu

LA VIAJERA

LA VIAJERA

¿Qué peligros acechan a la viajera que cruza el jardín
de paño  de lágrimas  a la caída de  la tarde? Un  paso
adelante y  el  hombre  de  muro  que  la  sigue  desde
el comienzo  del día, le ofrecerá  ese puñado  de
amapolas   deshojadas  en  el  brebaje  del  sueño  
invernal al que apenas espanta la partida de caza
de la palabra disparando   su   mosquete   en  
mitad   de   la  noche ¿Quién vive? ¿Quién vive?



Pero la viajera despierta de esos filtros y venenos para
ser anunciada por el chambelán de barba blanca a las
puertas  del  mar que parece  dormir bajo sus pies
como un pintor  de feria embriagado. Y  qué
escenarios no  se  levantan  entonces  para  
aquellos que  todavía hablan de  libertad a  los
ejércitos alzados en armas, a las feroces  cuadrillas
de verdugos  que levantan patíbulos sobre
la  faz de  la tierra...  Un rumor de  muros de
Bastillas  desplomándose  al  toque de diana  
futuro y a lo largo de las trincheras del horizonte.



                         In Memoriam Stefan Baciu
Close

THE VOYAGER

What dangers lie in wait for the voyager who crosses
the garden of shoulders to cry on as night  falls? One
step forward  and the wall-clinger  who has followed
her since daybreak, will offer her that handful of
defoliated poppies  in the brew of  wintry sleep,
scarcely jarred by hunters of  the word firing their muskets
in  the  middle of  the  night: Who goes  there?  Who
goes there?




But   the  voyager  awakens  from  those  potions and
poisons to be announced by the white-bearded
chamberlain  at  the  gates  of  the sea  that seems  to  
sleep beneath  his feet like a drunken  marketplace
painter. And  what  scenes  don’t  rise up then  for  
those who still speak of freedom to the  insurgent  
armies, to the savage  gangs   of  executioners  who
erect  scaffolds over  the  face  of the  earth!... A
whisper  of  Bastilles collapsing  at   the  impending
reveille and along  the trenches of the horizon.



    In memoriam Stefan Baciu

THE VOYAGER

What dangers lie in wait for the voyager who crosses
the garden of shoulders to cry on as night  falls? One
step forward  and the wall-clinger  who has followed
her since daybreak, will offer her that handful of
defoliated poppies  in the brew of  wintry sleep,
scarcely jarred by hunters of  the word firing their muskets
in  the  middle of  the  night: Who goes  there?  Who
goes there?




But   the  voyager  awakens  from  those  potions and
poisons to be announced by the white-bearded
chamberlain  at  the  gates  of  the sea  that seems  to  
sleep beneath  his feet like a drunken  marketplace
painter. And  what  scenes  don’t  rise up then  for  
those who still speak of freedom to the  insurgent  
armies, to the savage  gangs   of  executioners  who
erect  scaffolds over  the  face  of the  earth!... A
whisper  of  Bastilles collapsing  at   the  impending
reveille and along  the trenches of the horizon.



    In memoriam Stefan Baciu
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