11
the lotuses float silent down the riverbank
between the water and the sky
the light in flames
melting the iguana’s eye
25
the cormorant descends to the depths of the sick river
no one knows of his dealings with the abyss:
if he fishes for another furtive solitude:
a new trembling to fade into the unhealthy elements
29
among lilies and sewers
the living water maneuvers through all the poisons
all the decoys
until it reaches pure salt in the belly of the sea
with the pure sun at the edge of the horizon
31
there is a fever trembling in the glare
there is a boiling of hearts sated with sinking:
and occasional fleeting floatings
there is a fervor of mouths and seeds:
tacit sparks, abandoned
in the breeze of the day
always without words
40
turtledove footprints on the sand
meagre shadows sown by the midday sun
signs and more signs…
but does the mystery end?
* “Neverí” is the popular name of a river in the northeastern watershed of Venezuela. It begins in the Turimiquire hills of Sucre state and flows into the Caribbean bay of Pozuelos, running more than 110 kilometers and passing through the city of Barcelona, capital of Anzoátegui state. Anyone who’s interested can find it at the following coordinates: latitude 10° 10′ 30″ north, longitude 64° 43′ 30″ west.
Translated by Arthur Dixon
