A poem a Saturday

Mark Strand -- (b. 1934, Prince Edward Island). He'll be here at Smith to do a reading on Tues., but alas I have another event I cannot miss, so I'll miss him. He spent 1965 in Brazil and is a translator of Drummond, and their affinity seems clear in this poem, from the collectiion "Sleeping with One Eye Open" (1964).

Keeping Things Whole

In a field
I am the absence
of field.
This is
always the case.
Wherever I am
I am what is missing.

When I walk
I part the air
and always
the air moves in
to fill the spaces
where my body’s been

We all have reasons
for moving.
I move
to keep things whole.

Mantendo inteiras as coisas

Num campo
Eu sou a ausência
de campo.
Isso é
sempre o caso.
Onde eu estiver
eu sou o que está faltando.

Quando eu ando
parto o ar
e sempre
o ar volta
para encher os espaços
onde meu corpo esteve.

Todos temos motivos
para nos movermos.
Eu me movo
para manter inteiras as coisa.

(tradução minha)