Were you to ask Neruda

by Roberto Lavidez

I utter

and I am

and without

speaking

I approach

the limit

of words

I’ll tell

you

everything

that’s

happening

with me

were you

to ask

where I

come from

I would have

to talk with

shattered

things

until it

plunges

itself

like a

nocturnal

carnation

the brightness

that falls on

my senses

the earthen

splendor

of life

so let

no one be

perturbed

when I seem

to be alone

drunk with

the great

starry void

likeness

image of

mystery

comes

a time

I’m tired

of my feet

and my

fingernails

and my hair

give me

silence

water

hope

give me

struggle

iron

volcanoes

if I remember

anything in

my life

it was an

afternoon

in India

on the banks

of a river

there my

loneliness

stretches

and burns

all that

you leave

are crushed

shards of

remains

between

shadow

and space

between

harnesses

and virgins

the sea

comes and

reunites

our lives

and attacks

and divides

and sings

alone

and that’s

how it was

something

that runs

and falls

and passes

it fades

it sheds

its leaves

it gets lost

in the streets

the energy

of your

white

language

smashing and

overturning

its own

columns

in its

purifying

acts of

demolition

unfortunately

I’ve nothing

to give you

but melted

pianos

I went

wandering

between

the streets

and the

atmosphere

arriving and

saying

goodbye

you saw

the world

birds filled

with syllables

starry dew

time upon

time

and man

where was

he

©robertolavidez2014