Lima, City with the Stretched out Wings [In English and Spanish]
Lima,
City with the Stretched out Wings
It's an ink-black night: no stars: a moon in sight
Just dots of: red, green and white-white lights
As the plane descends, descends, slides down
On the long-drawn-out-spun-out lingering city of lights
Uneven as a crumbled cake, lit up like a Christmas tree-
The sleepless city, with its stretched out wings
Stretching from the mountains to the sea-
Winding through the valley's, forests, and streams
Stretches, stretches its naked wings-endlessly
As,
I'm descending, down, over and around the city
(descending, descending, and sliding to the ground)
The city with stretched out wings-and endless lights
Down, behind, around, the ground, it's immune to me
I'm just part of its evening, a baptism in its inky sea
Invisible people: cats, dogs, birds, and rats-infinite
Uncountable: dots; streams of lit dots, dot-lights;
People: walking, talking, sleeping, eating by the dots
People: waiting, killing, robbing, praying, by the dots
For tomorrow, tomorrow and another tomorrow
They say-:
you are ruthless, and I know this to be true
And they tell me you have thieves and murders-
And this, I dare say-but shall-is also true, very true
But show me a city to the contrary of eight-million-?
I shake my fist and say: '?show me! But no one does'
So alive, so brave, with strong and hungry hearts;
I say, show me one that sings in poverty and smiles
Prove me one that celebrates year-round of its heroes
Show me painters that are as good-that sell on streets-
As good as: Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, and Yang Yang
And that welcomes the world with stretched out arms-
Show me all this, or some of this, and I will say no more
With this,
I descend to its streets, its crowed winding streets
As well as, to its neighborhoods with dust and soiled air,
And hear the laughs of the children; the dogs on roofs
Sights of the shoe-shiners: men and boys, in the parks
And the numerous food carts; -- musicians, paper sellers
And with its naked featherless wings, covering all
-My Lima, Peru with its renowned Cathedral:
Golden yellow with towering crowns, and
Within its plaza-square, a water fountain-celebrated.
Under its sins, with its wrinkled aged men, lovely women,
They all stand tall and bow to its Inca history, its glory-
Its world that once ruled all, like the Roman Empire,
Like the American Dream, they were the noble, the kings
And now, from drudgery and toil, sweat and strive, all, all Grinding, grinding away, each and everyday, lover of the, King of Kings: Jesus Christ-this is the Lima I know today; a mighty ship that has already sailed the seven seas, now resting!?
Spanish Version
Lima,
La ciudad con las alas extendidas
Translated by Rosa Peñaloza
Esta es una noche oscura: no estrellas, ni luna a la vista
Solo puntos: rojo, verde y blanco-luces blancas
Mientras que el avión desciende, desciende, bajando
A la larga-extendida-plana persistente ciudad de luces
Plana como un panqueque, encendida como un árbol de navidad-
La despierta ciudad, con sus alas extendidas
Extendidas desde las montañas hacia el océano
Zigzagueante a través de los valles, bosques y riachuelos
Estirando, estirando sus alas desnudas-interminables
Mientras,
Voy descendiendo, abajo, por encima y alrededor de la ciudad
(Descendiendo, descendiendo, y deslizándose a la tierra)
La ciudad con las alas extendidas-y luces interminables
Abajo, Abajo, detrás, alrededor, la tierra, es inmune a mí
Sólo soy parte de esta noche, un bautizado en su oscuro océano
Invisible: gente, gatos, perros, pájaros, y ratas, infinidad
Incontables: puntos, riachuelos de luz, puntos de luz;
Gente: caminando, conversando, durmiendo, comiendo bajo los puntos de luz
Gente: esperando, matando, robando, rezando bajo los puntos de luz
Por mañana, mañana y otro mañana
Ellos dicen--:
Tu eres implacable, y yo se que esto es verdad
Y ellos me dicen tú tienes ladrones, y muertes-
Y esto, me atrevo a decir, que esto también es cierto, muy cierto
Pero muéstrame una ciudad de ocho millones contraria --?
Sacudo mis puños y digo: "?muéstrame," pero nadie lo hace
Tan viva, tan valerosa, con corazones fuertes y hambrientos:
Digo, muéstrame una que canta en pobreza, y sonríe
Pruébame una como esa, que celebra alrededor del año a sus héroes
Muéstrame pintores tan buenos-que venden en las calles-
Tan buenos como: Picasso, Dali, Rembrant y Yang Yang
Y que recibe al mundo con extendidos brazos
Muéstrame todo esto, o algo de esto, y no diré mas
Con esto,
Desciendo a sus calles, atiborrada, zigzagueantes calles
Así como su raro vecindario con polvo en el aire
Y oigo la risa de los niños, los perros en los techos
Vista de los lustrabotas, hombres y muchachos, en los parques
Y los numerosos carros de comida, músicos y vendedores de periódicos
Y con su desnuda y desplumadas alas, cubriendo todo
-Mi Lima, Perú, con su renombrada catedral:
Amarilla dorada con su coronadas torres, y
Dentro de su plaza cuadrada, una celebrada pileta
Bajo su piel, con sus arrugados ancianos, tiernas mujeres,
Todos ellos parados altos, y reverenciando a su historia inca, su
gloria-
Su mundo que una vez gobernó todo, como el Imperio Romano
Como el sueño de América, ellos fueron los nobles, los reyes
Y ahora de pesadez, y esfuerzo, sudor, lucha, todos, todos extenuados, fatigados, este y cada día, amantes delRey de los Reyes: Jesucristo-esta es la Lima que conozco, hoy; un poderoso barco que ya navegó los siete mares, ahora descansando?
Author/Poet Dennis Siluk, web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com
MORE RESOURCES:
 New York Times | Poetry Series Spurs Debate on the Use of an Old Slur Against Puerto Ricans New York Times Sandra MarÃa Estevez is participating in El Museo's poetry series, although she dislikes its title. Now that word forms the title of a poetry series — “Spic ... |
 guardian.co.uk | Politics needs poetry – so hooray for Herman Van Rompuy guardian.co.uk First let me say this: on balance, I would far rather that people in politics were writing poetry than not. Where are the poets in the House of Commons? ... BLAIR: I DIDN'T WANT EUROPE JOB ANYWAY Profile: Herman Van Rompuy: eu's new president Herman Van Rompuy's Greatest Hits |
Enjoy Poetry, Plays and Even Santa's Elves The Ledger THE ARTS, POETRY & CRAFTS FESTIVAL is planned for today in Lakeland. Along with the art exhibit, there will be poetry readings, face painting, entertainment ... |
The Warrior Poetry Project: A Concert Reading of Poems by Veterans Chicago Public Radio Remy Bumppo Theatre Company and the Vet Art Project present the Warrior Poetry Project, a free hour-long poetry reading of original poetry written and ... |
 Irish Times | Brown professor wins national poetry award Providence Journal AP / Tina Fineberg The night before he won the National Book Award for poetry for his experimental work, “Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy,†... Providence Poet Wins National Book Award Novelist Colum mccann wins book award Colum mccann wins major US fiction prize |
 Spicezee | GCU resonates with Faiz's poetry Daily Times Prof Dr Nabeela Kayani of the English Department presented a paper, describing Faiz as a pillar of Urdu poetry. Faiz rejected fascism, she said, ... Faiz's poetry - a beacon of light for oppressed GCU pays tribute to Faiz “Faiz was a revolution who is evergreen†|
Pick-Up Lines In Rome: Sexual Harassment Or Poetry? Huffington Post (blog) It was a beautiful summer day and that sentence was a joyful verse of poetry. I wasn't at all offended by it: it felt more like a serenade rather than a ... |
 Mormon Times | Complete poetry of Eliza R. Snow published Mormon Times 20, at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers building to celebrate the release of "Eliza R. Snow: The Complete Poetry." The 1333 page book was edited by Derr and ... |
Poem of the day – Death of a little girl StarNewsOnline.com A PLACE FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR POETRY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. Welcome to our online community of poets! I am an aspiring poet myself and would love for us to ... |
Poetry with a passion Honolulu Advertiser This was the venue for October's First Thursday Slam Poetry event. Over 25 poets read their work. Poems ranged from graphic to heart-wrenching to beat ... |
Superman
So many looked to you for inspiration,Unlikely hero for the wheelchair nation.Proudly you fought and proudly you believed,Everyone loved you Christopher Reeve.
Three Poems: The Monkey Man of Lima, Plus Two More
What Hides behind the Minute?What hides behind the minute?It seems, no one really knows;How many times will we wakeup,To count the minutes gone?The rose was dead when I arrived;The sword, was rusty and dull;The window curtain was open,And there was music in the hall.Oh lovely minute, where art thou?One, is not like the other-:Whirling in an earthly orbit,As the boundless world discovers.
The Gaul of La Laguna de Paca
Part OneI tell you a legend of long agoOf the sunken city of La Laguna de Paca,(Where I had met a lingering ghost)Within this region of Huancayo--Peru;Truth lies, but only the soul knows.Part TwoSo the legend goes, of long ago:During the rising of the full moonThe Mermaid of La Laguna de Paca, appearsAnd to the nearby towns folks, she echoes.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning: A Discussion of How Do I Love Thee?
"How Do I Love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning was written in 1845 while she was being courted by the English poet, Robert Browning. The poem is also titled Sonnet XLIII from Sonnets From the Portuguese.
Feelings, O How Glorious!
Sometimes we feel hard-pressed, Our backs against the wall; Sometimes we feel lightheaded, As if we are going to fall.Sometimes we feel fierce angerAt those who misuse guns; Sometimes we feel ashamedOf how we treat God's little ones.
Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Dog
Emlyn Williams Theatre, Mold, North Wales: 20th February 2003Clwyd Theatr Cymru commemorated the 50th anniversary of the death of the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) with a superb run of performances by a small but accomplished cast of actors.Described in the programme as "A theatrical journey through the prose writing of Dylan Thomas", the production was created by Tim Baker, an Associate of the Royal National Theatre, who won the Manchester Evening News Best Visiting Production award in 1992 for the highly acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird.
Two Poems with Triggers [and a commentary]
So Many Einstein'sThe morning mist, insists there is a God.The earth remains faithful to its orbit.
Colorful Talk
"I heard what you said, Red. Yet, I have to disagree.
Four Poems: Harvest of Apoplectic Horses [Katrinas Pathway]
Four Poems: Katrina's PathwayHarvest of Apoplectic Horses((Dedicated to: Katrina)) crisis)It has happened before:Nearby and afar,Where the four-horses ofApocalypseWith their flaming nostrilsBreathed in the fury of the windsOnly to vomit out, disaster; -Then galloped away,Against pale faces!..
Beautiful Dreamer, Stephen Foster, Americas First Folk Song Writer
"Beautiful Dreamer" was written by Stephen Foster just before his death in 1864 at age 37. The song became one of his most famous and most popular.
The King and Delka & Moiromma: the Cold Planet [Parts 25 and 26]
#25The King and Delka[Split Mawkishness-on Moiromma /Part V]Sickly SentimentalityI have sought out friendsOnly to find rawnessOf their passion;And the uniformity Of their vision.Who out there can knowMy cerebral verve?(Only the long dead)By King Moir I[Of Moiromma]Ah! the aimless cosmos come back to his mind as he stands on his balcony looking up into he eerie dark.
The Butcher of Lima and Footprints to Mantaro Valley (Two Poems)
Footprints to Mantaro Valley(Peru; in English and Spanish)In what retreat art hid?-Where falling mountains groanIn shadow and amongThe rapids of the Rio?Is not your name Mantaro Valley?Beyond the footprints of the Andes--?I can hear your voice in echoesI can hear thy voice, divinely low.I do but know thy by a glanceAs the clouds above me know? .
Kafka Re-Trial
Kafka lands resurrected in Crewedeposited by a silvery alien craft,And whilst he is wondering what to doHe is asked to show his passOr pay an instant one off fineAt a cash dispenser of his choiceAnd they are checking all the timeOn his irises face and voice.And of course they find that he is not,They discover he just cannot be there,Although he seems as if he is visible,And has hands and toes and hair,If he is not on the Great Data Bank,He plainly and simply cannot be,He is not listed and he is not rankedHe is surely not like you and me.
My hero, my best friend, my Grannio (a.k.a my Grandmother)
She raised me like I was her own daughter from the day I was born 32 years ago.She loved me like nobody else has ever loved me in my life.
Three Love Poems [all wicked]
Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists: as with 'Lovers'.
Lifes Too Short
Time goes by to quicklyto hold your feelings insideEspecially when their so strongeven if they don't abide..
The Crusader: A Search for the Virtue Inside (an excerpt of an Epic Poem)
On through the darkness she searches the bonesSeeking the hand of her love;Deep in the stillness, the maid searches on,Petitioning help from above.Onward she gropes through the flesh and the bloodOf the warriors disfigured and maimed;She carries no hope for the life of her love -For naught but his body she came.
Become A Poet In Ten Minutes
Have you ever sat there staring at the paper, ready to write, but unsure where to begin? Want a solution that will overcome even the worst writer's block? Anyone can start writing poetry today using a few simple techniques.One, two, .
Rules for Writing Poetry
You've been writing poetry since that first assignment in your high school writing class. You know the rules about writing poetry, right? Are there rules? Well, if you frequent the poetry forums across the Internet as much as I do, you'd find that there are a lot of amateur poets who adamantly declare that there are no rules for writing poetry and if someone even suggests reading poetry or books on poetry, many of the amateur poets will throw up a defensive front.
Death & the Supernatural: Poetry/Five Poems
Supernatural PoetryHere are five poems,-what I call-death and supernatural poems. Perhaps a bit bizarre, a few stanzas may be, but with unfailing subtlety of course, and a ting of acuteness, but we have to hag on if we want a good ride:1.
