La verdad es que
grietas
no faltan
así al pasar recuerdo
las que separan a zurdos y diestros
a pequineses y moscovitas
a présbites y miopes
a gendarmes y prostitutas
a optimistas y abstemios
a sacerdotes y aduaneros
a exorcistas y maricones
a baratos e insobornables
a hijos pródigos y detectives
a Borges y Sábato
a mayúsculas y minúsculas
a pirotécnicos y bomberos
a mujeres y feministas
a acuarianos y taurinos
a profilácticos y revolucionarios
a vírgenes e impotentes
a agnósticos y monaguillos
a inmortales y suicidas
a franceses y no franceses
a corto o a larguísimo plazo
todas son sin embargo
remediables
hay una sola grieta
decididamente profunda
y es la que media entre la maravilla del hombre
y los desmaravilladores
aún es posible saltar de uno a otro borde
pero cuidado
aquí estamos todos
ustedes y nosotros
para ahondarla
señoras y señores
a elegir
a elegir de qué lado
ponen el pie.
Mario Benedetti
Rifts
The fact is
there's no shortage of
rifts
thus, as I recall
those that separate left-handed from right
peking from moscow
near from far-sighted
cops from prostitutes
optimists from teetotalers
clergy from customs officers
exorcists from queers
easy-to-bribe from incorruptible
prodigal sons from detectives
borges from sábato
upper from lower case
fireworks from firefighting
women from feminists
aquarians from tauruses
prophylactics from revolutionaries
virginal from impotent
agnostics from altarboys
immortal from suicidal
french from non-french
still
sooner or very much later
they can all be bridged
except for one rift
that's exceedingly deep
and separates the marvel that is man
from the demarvellizers
it's still possible to jump across that one
but watch out
we're right here
you and the rest of us
all set to make it deeper
so ladies and gentlemen
it's time to choose
choose which side
you'll stand on.
translated by Louise B. Popkin
(Picture: We Were So Close That Nothing Used to Stand Between Us, Vasile Dobrian)
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