Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Carnival, Mardi Gras

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Carnaval

Antigua fiesta pagana, griega, romana, la dionisíaca, las saturnales, las bacanales celebrando la igualdad entre los hombres, las mujeres, celebrando la embriaguez del estar vivos, el festejo del cuerpo y del alma.

Ahora se le llama carnaval (carne vale) porque es despedida a la carne antes de que se le mortifique durante la cuaresma. Se celebra la carne, los apetitos del cuerpo, sensuales, libres de mandamientos y prohibiciones.

Por eso el antifaz, la máscara que tras el anonimato nos da licencia para romper las reglas, por un momento vivir fantasías. Tras el antifaz, la máscara, una persona aun puede desnudarse y bailar por las calles. Persona, del latín significando máscara, especialmente cuando se lleva en la escena. Y ¿qué es la vida sino diversión de los dioses?

Entonces quitémonos las máscaras del corazón y pongámonoslas sobre la cara si tal es preciso para ser libre, y en vez del rosario, digamos las cuentas de carnaval.

Carnival

Ancient, pagan, Greek, Roman feast, the Dionysia, the Saturnalia, the Bacchanalia celebrating the equality among men, women, celebrating the intoxication of being alive, the celebration of the body and the soul.

Now it is called carnival (carne vale), Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), because it is the farewell to flesh before it is mortified during lent. Flesh is celebrated, the appetites of the body, sensual, free of commandments and prohibitions.

Thus the mask which behind anonymity gives us license to break the rules, live fantasies for a moment. Behind the mask a person may even undress and dance naked in the streets. Person from the Latin meaning mask, especially when worn on the stage. And what is life but the diversion of the gods?

Let us take the masks from the heart and put them on the face if such is needed to be free, and instead of the rosary, let us say the carnival beads.

-----Cuentas de carnaval


De las calles
de Nueva Orleáns 
--------en pleno carnaval,
me llamaste;
tu voz un hilo
 
----de cuentas lustrosas
verdes,

 ---------doradas, 
-------------------púrpuras
me engalanó de encanto
y me hizo bailar el corazón.

Sobre la Bahía
de San Francisco
el cielo amanece
color de cenizas,
pero mañana en vez del rosario,
diré esas cuentas de carnaval.




------© Rafael Jesús González 2017




-----------Carnival Beads


From the streets of New Orleans
--------in full Mardi Gras,
you called;
your words, a string
----of lustrous beads,
green,
-------gold,
-------------purple
adorned me with joy
& made my heart dance.

Over
San Francisco Bay
the sky dawns
the color of ashes,
but tomorrow instead of the rosary,
I will say those carnival beads.





-- ----------------© Rafael Jesús González 2017




(bueno, pa' algunos ni la máscara sirve/
well, for some not even the mask helps)



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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Piscis

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-------------
-----------------Piscis


El par de peces nada
entre cristales de amatistas,
entre peñas de heliotropo —
----la luz de Júpiter les llega
----como un reflejo en estaño;
Neptuno perezosamente los vigila.
Si vadeas en las aguas inconstantes,
los verás a tus pies
nadar como imágenes de sueños,
-------pacíficos,
------------------benévolos.




 ------------------© Rafael Jesús González 2017




----------------Pisces

The pair of fish swim
among amethyst crystals,
among boulders of bloodstone —
---the light of Jupiter comes to them
---like reflections on tin;
---Neptune lazily watches.
If you wade in the inconstant water,
you will see them at your feet
swimming like the images of dreams,
-----peaceful,
----------------kind.



---------------------© Rafael Jesús González 2017

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Monday, February 20, 2017

Presidents' Day


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Some past presidents' response

to the present 45th president of the U. S. A. 


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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

St. Valentine's


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Icniuhyotl


Auh tocnihuane,
tla xoconcaquican yn itlatol temictli:
xoxopantla technemitia,

in teocuitlaxilotl, techonitwuitia
tlauhkecholelotl, techoncozctia.
In tikmati ye ontlaneltoca
toyiollo, toknihuan.

------------------------------------Tecayohuatzin, King of Huexotzinco, c. 1490





(del náhuatl)


Y ahora amigos, escuchen
el sueño de una palabra:
Son una luz
las puntas rubias y tiernas del maíz;
en la primavera despertamos
a la borla dorada de la mazorca
y las pruebas de constancia
en los corazones de amigos
nos engalanan el cuello
con collares de joyas.




----------© Rafael Jesús González 2017



Friendship


(from the Nahuatl)


And now, friends listen
to the dream of a word:
It is a light,
the corn's pale and tender ends;
in spring we wake
to the golden tassel of the maize,
and the proofs of constancy
in the hearts of friends
about our necks
jeweled collars place.




----------© Rafael Jesús González 2017



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Friday, February 10, 2017

Full Moon of the Rooster Year 4715









Full Moon of the Rooster Year 4715




The full moon's bright light

fills the night and awakens

the cock in the wood.

The rooster's crow augurs dawn

we pray be as full of light.




© Rafael Jesús González 2017






Luna llena del año del gallo 4715




La luz brillante de la luna plena

llena la noche y despierta

al gallo en el bosque.

el grito del gallo augura el amanecer

que rogamos sea tan lleno de luz. 




© Rafael Jesús González 2017




 


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Thursday, February 9, 2017

Poets Against War Racism, Thursday, February 2

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"The four directions call you to Oakland" 
Painting by Arnoldo García

Poetas contra la guerra y el racismo
Poets Against War & Racism
Sponsored by the Chiapas Support Committee
This is the first gathering of Poets Against War & Racism.
A fundraiser to support
the autonomy projects of the Zapatista communities

Thursday, February 23, 2017 
7:00-9:00 p.m.
 Oakland Omni Commons 
4799 Shattuck Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609

Donation requested: $5.00-25.00
No one turned away for lack of money.

This is a fundraiser to support the autonomy projects of the Zapatista communities.
Poets
  • Amira Ali 
  • Rafael Jesús González, accompanied by Gerardo Omar Marín on flute
  • Arnoldo Colibrí Hummingbird
  • Other poets & performers
  • Open mic (sign-up at 6:45 pm)
  • Update by Chiapas Support Committee on situation in Mexico with a 15-minute video of the recent CNI congress held with the EZLN whose first sessions were held in October 2016.
Visit Chiapas Support Committee FaceBook event page on Poets against War & Racism for updates or Compa Manuel Blog
The challenge is to reclaim our power of self-determination and live our lives and words in community that resists and begins to dream how to govern itself. The infinite war that the U.S. started in 2003 added another layer of calluse and numbing, distorting our consciousness and our language.
As a result, racism and war has become normalized to unprecedented and new levels with the new U.S. regime taking office and power.
This first gathering is to let loose some outrage, begin to learn how to dream together and encourage each one to continue to do what they are best at to stop war and racism in all its forms, end homophobia, islamophobia, transphobia, stop destruction of the Earth.


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