Borges

By MIGUEL-ANGEL ZAPATA

 

Which of the two writes the poem?

He who sleeps waking with the cypresses
of India or you who live enamored
of the streets of Buenos Aires


Which of the two writes the poem?

He who teaches classes and loves his
students or he who rides a bicycle
through Long Island parks without
thinking of coming back

Who writes the poem?

He who thinks that to err is his fate
or he who kneels before the sovereign
for not having opened all the books.
Translated by Loren Goodman

 

Miguel-Angel Zapata books include Lumbre de la letra, Escribir bajo el polvo, El cielo que me escribe, Cuervos, Los muslos sobre la grama, the bilingual A Sparrow in the House of Seven Patios, and Fragmentos de una manzana y otros poemas.

Loren Goodman is the author of Famous Americans, Suppository Writing, and New Products.

Click here to purchase Issue 03

From the beginning, The Common has brought you transportive writing and exciting new voices. We are committed to supporting writers and maintaining free, unrestricted access to our website, but we can’t do it without you. Become an integral part of our global community of readers and writers by donating today. No amount is too small. Thank you!

Borges

Related Posts

The Ground That Walks

ALAA ALQAISI
We stepped out with our eyes uncovered. / Gaza kept looking through them— / green tanks asleep on roofs, a stubborn gull, / water heavy with scales at dawn. // Nothing in us chose the hinges to slacken. / The latch turned without our hands. / Papers practiced the border’s breath.

Raid on the Roma Camp

THEODORA BAUER
Katica only saw her sister angry once. That was a long time ago, she must have been seven or maybe eight. Her father was still alive. It was a cold winter evening, it got dark early. She went with her father to the village. Her hands tucked into two thick mittens, through which she was chilled to the bone.