House of Ravens by Blanca Varela

Laura Rodríguez Díaz

House of Ravens

because I fed you with this undercooked
reality
because of so many and so poor flowers of evil
because of this absurd flight skimming the marsh
ego absolve you from me
labyrinth son of mine

it isn’t your fault
or mine
poor child of mine
of whom I made this impeccable portrait
forcing the darkness of the day
eyelids of honey
and the starry cheek
closed to any touch
and the magnificent distance
of your body
your nausea is mine
you have inherited it as fish inherit
asphyxiation
and the colour of your eyes
is also the colour of my blindness
under which shadows weave
shadows and temptations
and it’s also mine the footprint
of your narrow heel like an archangel’s
barely passed through the half-open window
and ours
forever
the foreign music
of the skies beating
now little lion
incarnation of my love
you play with my bones
and hide out among your beauty
blind deaf unredeemed
almost satisfied and free
with your blood that leaves no room
for anything or anybody

here I am as always
ready for the surprise
of your steps
for all the springs you invent
and destroy
to lie—not infinite—
over the world
grass ash plague fire
for whatever you want for a glance of you
that lights up my remains
because this is a love
that understands nothing
and can do nothing
you drink the filter and fall asleep
in that abyss full of you
music you don’t see
said colours
explained at length to the silence
mixed as dreams are mixed
until that ungainly grey
that is waking up
in the great palm of god
bald empty without end
and there you are
lonely and lost in your soul
with no other obstacle but your body
with no other door but your body
such a love
the only one and the same
with so many names
that doesn’t answer to any
and you looking at me
as you don’t know me
leaving
as the light goes away from the world
without promises
and again this meadow
this meadow of abandoned black fire
again this empty house
that is my body
where you don’t have to return


Casa de cuervos

porque te alimenté con esta realidad
mal cocida
por tantas y tan pobres flores del mal
por este absurdo vuelo a ras de pantano
ego te absolvo de mí
laberinto hijo mío

no es tuya la culpa
ni mía
pobre pequeño mío
del que hice este impecable retrato
forzando la oscuridad del día
párpados de miel
y la mejilla constelada
cerrada a cualquier roce
y la hermosísima distancia
de tu cuerpo
tu náusea es mía
la heredaste como heredan los peces
la asfixia
y el color de tus ojos
es también el color de mi ceguera
bajo el que sombras tejen
sombras y tentaciones
y es mía también la huella
de tu talón estrecho
de arcángel
apenas pasado en la entreabierta ventana
y nuestra
para siempre
la música extranjera
de los cielos batientes
ahora leoncillo
encarnación de mi amor
juegas con mis huesos
y te ocultas entre tu belleza
ciego sordo irredento
casi saciado y libre
con tu sangre que ya no deja lugar
para nada ni nadie

aquí me tienes como siempre
dispuesta a la sorpresa
de tus pasos
a todas las primaveras que inventas
y destruyes
a tenderme —nada infinita—
sobre el mundo
hierba ceniza peste fuego
a lo que quieras por una mirada tuya
que ilumine mis restos
porque así es este amor
que nada comprende
y nada puede
bebes el filtro y te duermes
en ese abismo lleno de ti
música que no ves
colores dichos
largamente explicados al silencio
mezclados como se mezclan los sueños
hasta ese torpe gris
que es despertar
en la gran palma de dios
calva vacía sin extremos
y allí te encuentras
sola y perdida en tu alma
sin más obstáculo que tu cuerpo
sin más puerta que tu cuerpo
así este amor
uno solo y el mismo
con tantos nombres
que a ninguno responde
y tú mirándome
como si no me conocieras
marchándote
como se va la luz del mundo
sin promesas
y otra vez este prado
este prado de negro fuego abandonado
otra vez esta casa vacía
que es mi cuerpo
a donde no has de volver

Blanca Varela (1926-2009) was a Peruvian poet, translator and journalist. She lived in Lima almost all her life and studied Humanities and Education at the National University of San Marcos. Varela was part of the group of artists called Generación del 50 and her work is related to existentialism and surrealism.


Laura Rodríguez Díaz

Laura Rodríguez Díaz (Spain, 1998) studies Language and Literature at the University of Seville. She wrote the book of poems San Lázaro (Cántico, 2021), and edits and publishes the literary review Caracol nocturno. Her poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies from Spain and Latin America. She also researches contemporary literature.

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