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Editor's Note/Nota del Editor: This poem was written in English by a poet who writes in both Spanish and English, and translated into Spanish by another poet who speaks both Spanish and English. Este poema fue escrito en inglés por un poeta que escribe en español e inglés, y se tradujo al español por otro poeta que habla español e inglés.

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The Harrowing

The painful stigmata did not let me drive for long.
I asked Adam to take my place
while I tasted the sights of the barren country.

A bird made of bone, solemn and dead,
flew by
the impatient red skies,
reaching into the scorching sun
and burning.

I poked my face out the window.
The winds of sin
whispered in my ear,
melting thus the skin of my face:
“The dead don’t come back…
never come back…”

The country lingers on
as I listen to its winds one last time.
After three days of driving,
I resurrect.

Desgarrador

El doloroso estigma no me permitió conducir.
Le pedí a Adán que tomara mi lugar para yo poder catar la vista de un campo estéril.

Un ave de hueso, solemne y muerta, pasó volando
por los impacientes cielos rojos hacia un sol abrasador
que la consumió.

Saqué la cara por la ventana.
Vientos pecaminosos
susurraron en mi oído,
y se derritió la piel de mi rostro.

«Los muertos no retornan…
nunca retornan…»

El campo permanece
mientras escucho los vientos por última vez.
Después de conducir tres días, resucito.



Gabriel Ascencio is a Mexican student and writer. He mostly focuses on texts written in Spanish, which can be found at Colectivo Letras & Poesía under his former pseudonym "Dr. Asenjo," and at Revista Extrañas Noches and Letralia.
Current Issue
22 Apr 2024

We’d been on holiday at the Shoon Sea only three days when the incident occurred. Dr. Gar had been staying there a few months for medical research and had urged me and my friend Shooshooey to visit.
...
Tu enfiles longuement la chemise des murs,/ tout comme d’autres le font avec la chemise de la mort.
The little monster was not born like a human child, yelling with cold and terror as he left his mother’s womb. He had come to life little by little, on the high, three-legged bench. When his eyes had opened, they met the eyes of the broad-shouldered sculptor, watching them tenderly.
Le petit monstre n’était pas né comme un enfant des hommes, criant de froid et de terreur au sortir du ventre maternel. Il avait pris vie peu à peu, sur la haute selle à trois pieds, et quand ses yeux s’étaient ouverts, ils avaient rencontré ceux du sculpteur aux larges épaules, qui le regardaient tendrement.
We're delighted to welcome Nat Paterson to the blog, to tell us more about his translation of Léopold Chauveau's story 'The Little Monster'/ 'Le Petit Monstre', which appears in our April 2024 issue.
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