Raúl Carballeira

Raúl Carballeira (February 28, 1918 — June 26, 1948)

Bursts of shrapnel

mowed down your young body.

But you still had a gasp of breath,

a gasp of breath and a bullet;

and your mind, like a rapid steed,

galloping in the air,

on a hot June afternoon,

exploded under your own impact.

In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

You knew

Yes,

you knew it.

You knew that death stalked you.

You knew it with certainty.

Your black brothers knew it

and your white brothers knew it.

We all knew that you were going to leave us,

your life cut short, suddenly,

violently,

with that swift, cruel, inhuman impact

that has abruptly ended so many lives.

Today you leave us orphaned of your words,

of your apostolic presence,

and your prophetic vision.

America is orphaned.

What a grief! What a grief, America!

What a grief! What a grief oh World!

But all Mankind

cannot lose your soul

because you have blessed us

with the best of your essence.

Yes, human feelings

could not survive

without this inheritance

you have bequeathed us.

Federico Arcos

(Picture: Hommage à Martin Luther King, Alfred Manessier)

Elegy to Tears

Tears

have no frontiers;

carry no passport;

nor require a visa.

Tears

are international;

as affection,

tenderness,

love.

Empyrean

In memory of Vincente Mari

Tho’ the continents sink

the Oceans dry up,

or the rays of the Sun be extinguished,

and the darkness permeates the Earth;

Tho’ the poles compress

and meet at the equator,

or the Planet be pulverized,

vanishing in the Ether.