RAFAEL CADENAS, VENEZUELA

The Peace

Let's make a deal, poem.
I won't force you to say what you don't want
and you won't strongly resist to what I wish.
We have struggled so much.
Why this perseverance on making you in my image
when you know things I don't presume?
Free yourself from me now.
Flee without a backward glance.
Save yourself before it's too late.
Because you always humiliate me,
you know how to say what drives you
and I don’t,
because you are more than yourself
and I am only someone who tries to recognize himself in you.
I have limits to my desire
and you have none,
you just go where you wish to go
without seeing the hand that moves you
and which you think is yours when you feel yourself emerging from it
like something
that stands up.
Force your course on the writer, only
he knows how to hide,
how to cover the novelty,
how to impoverish.
What it shows is a tired
repetition.
Poem,
leave me.

RAFAEL CADENAS
Tr. Germain Droogenbroodt From: "Poemas selectos"

Las paces

Lleguemos a un acuerdo, poema.
Ya no te forzaré a decir lo que no quieres
ni tú te resistirás tanto a lo que deseo.
Hemos forcejeado mucho.
¿Para qué este empeño en hacerte a mi imagen
cuando sabes cosas que no sospecho?
Líbrate ya de mí.
Huye sin mirar atrás.
Sálvate antes de que sea tarde.
Pues siempre me rebasas,
sabes decir lo que te impulsa
y yo no,
porque eres más que tú mismo
y yo sólo soy el que trata de reconocerse en ti.
Tengo la extensión de mi deseo
y tú no tienes ninguno,
sólo avanzas hacia donde te diriges
sin mirar la mano que mueves
y te cree suyo cuando te siente brotar de ella
como una sustancia
que se erige.
Imponle tu curso al que escribe, él
sólo sabe ocultarse,
cubrir la novedad,
empobrecerse.
Lo que muestra es una reiteración
cansada.
Poema,
apártate de mí.

RAFAEL CADENAS
DE: "Poemas selectos"

Rafael Cadenas. Venezuela, 1930 is one of the most important poets not only from Venezuela, but even from Latin America. He is also an excellent essayist. His work contains Los Cuadernos del Destierro, Falsas Maniobras, Memorial, Literatura y Sociedad , Realidad y Literatura, Anotaciones and En torno al lenguaje. He was award the National Literature Prize in Venezuela en 1985. His complete works have been published in Spanish (Obra entera. Poesía y prosa (1958-1995) by Editorial Pre-Textos, 2007, Spain.