I’m too white, too bourgeoisie, too European…
Maybe I’m the spectre that you fear
on solitary nights, walking alone,
feeling forgotten, and not recognising you are home…
I could be the voice inside your head
that loudly whispers,
or the noisy quiet puppy that amuses.
I’ve a smile that’s hard to handle,
I am confident, sublime,
swimming in the shame you’ve left behind.
I am penitent, but still ungrateful,
unashamed and disrespectful,
lying fully clothed and careful
on your antique water-bed.
Drink with me my foolish lady,
I’m your macho, Macho Man,
impolite and condescending,
I’ll seduce you,
you’re so blind…
Yet I’m far too good to pass by,
eyes that penetrate your soul,
hands that wipe away your helplessness,
voice to sing,
voice to control…
Yes I’m far too good to pass by,
I am rich and misbehaved,
intolerant, brave, intransigent, slave,
misogynist, pure, old-fashioned, obscure,
too white, too conceited,
too much Europe,
too defeated…
Is that me? Or am I the side of this coin you cannot see?
C.2021, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, 14 DEC 2021, Valencia, España
JaZzArt en València 
Creí que estaba leyendo el mismo poema: la misma voz el mismo ritmo. Estupendo también. Un saludo
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Gracias Azurea
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Bravo, my friend! I love the unabashed and glaring look at self. And your closing is perfection. Well done!
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Thank you so much my brother!
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Amazing the difference between your translation here and the literal translation working from Spanish. Confirms my suspicions that translating is fraught with great danger. Thank you for this English version much superior to my wading through translation.
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Yes I am not too fond of google translate especially if the languages differ substantially. Interpretation is more precise because you “translate” the meaning not literally word for word. That does not do too well between Spanish/English or English/Spanish. We’ve two verbs for “I am” and the programme might not know the difference or hit on the right one, and so on and so forth…
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not y fave tool. I work identifying words I know and fill in the gaps as I go. It’s the tenses, pronouns , and gender that are so difficult.
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True, it is a rather complicated language to truly master. Takes time and lots of effort I’d say. You cannot learn it like I learned English, with a tutor in Scotland, listening to the Beatles and watching The Beverly Hillbillies…
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