Café Pessoa

[JTParreira]

In the café A Brasileira do Chiado
sat the plural
Pessoa, Fernando with a vacillating smiles
in its lips
They waited for words to render accounts
for breaking the marble of silence
with the noise of the machines
and the street-cars
and the breathe into the soul.

J.T.Parreira

[firefangled]

I read translations as often as I can find them. I relish the difficult areas of syntax and grammar that will not cross over from one language to the other. This may or may not be the case here, but I am intrigued.

I love poetry that makes me investigate things I know nothing of. So it is with Alvaro de Campos and Chiado. Thank you! I shall read more of this, when I am ready to receive.

[Virgil]

Is this it JT? This seems like a good start to something, but incomplete. I think this needs to go somewhere.

[firefangled]

In the café A Brasileira do Chiado
sat the plural
Pessoa, Fernando with a vacillating smiles
in its lips
They waited for words to render accounts
for breaking the marble of silence
with the noise of the machines
and the street-cars
and the breathe into the soul.

J.T.Parreira

Now, this is wonderful. I think I understand the marble of silence, but I am not sure. Keep sculpting, these poems are excellent.

These are obviously quite different poems, but what I always liked about Wallace Stevens was he forced me, through his poetry, to go read things I would never have thought of reading and in many case did not know existed.

Pleased to meet your acquaintance, in the first person singular as well, Mr. Pessoa. How many heavens awaited you?