Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ana Paula Inácio

i look around

i look around
with darting eyes in search
of that exceptional thief who stole
from me the book you invented
to spare my heart
the sorrow of the living
but i know it’s useless
i have within range only
my usual tools
for working the land
the land i’ve chosen
and i know it’s useless because evil has wings
and only the wind saves us
and transports us
to the place of the tree
next to the river where i’ll bathe three times
until the cock crows
and i remember my father
waiting for his supper and clean laundry

i look around

olho à volta
em flecha sobre as coisas
à procura desse ladrão excepcional
que me roubou o livro inventado
pra me poupares o coração
à mágoa dos vivos
mas sei que é inútil
trago em alvo
apenas alfaias domésticas
com que trabalho a terra
aquela que escolhi
e sei que é inútil porque o mal tem asas
e só o vento nos salva
e nos transporta
ao lugar da árvore
junto ao rio onde me banharei três vezes
até que o galo cante
e me lembre do pai
a quem devo ceia e roupa branca
Close

i look around

i look around
with darting eyes in search
of that exceptional thief who stole
from me the book you invented
to spare my heart
the sorrow of the living
but i know it’s useless
i have within range only
my usual tools
for working the land
the land i’ve chosen
and i know it’s useless because evil has wings
and only the wind saves us
and transports us
to the place of the tree
next to the river where i’ll bathe three times
until the cock crows
and i remember my father
waiting for his supper and clean laundry

i look around

i look around
with darting eyes in search
of that exceptional thief who stole
from me the book you invented
to spare my heart
the sorrow of the living
but i know it’s useless
i have within range only
my usual tools
for working the land
the land i’ve chosen
and i know it’s useless because evil has wings
and only the wind saves us
and transports us
to the place of the tree
next to the river where i’ll bathe three times
until the cock crows
and i remember my father
waiting for his supper and clean laundry
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