Urban Poet
That poet from Bogotá
As a boy he never knew
the scent of wet earth
or the revealing touch of animals
or saw the river wash life away . . .
To make up for so many losses
he sets a bird free in every poem
Clouds come and clouds go
At each sunrise the sea
swells tides toward his forgetfulness
That poet
grows quiet when I write to him
about how man's most pressing tragedy
is his war against nature
He writes long poems
to a papier-mâché lover
You're no match for the flowers
Yours are tinplate stars
Your scenographic sea
doesn't reveal or give rise to memories
Poet
You must go to nature
To gaze upon it
To defend it
_______________
Raúl Gómez Jattin
Almost Obscene
translated by Katherine M. Hedeen
& Olivia Lott
CSU, 2022
