#poem, «Toasting You» (Euro-Ku)

I was before, and I have been here since, walking on these turquoise marble floors, eating bread and drinking wine, the wine left to survive the year of the draught where less than three barrels came out,

and you, yes, it’s always been you, the one without faith, without principles, who dared to rub her body on mine and kiss my lips, wet with wine for I’ve been drinking, and who invited me to die in her arms, but your arms were the wings of a butterfly, born on the first of December to die on the first of May,

when the stars weep above the sea, the green and grassy sea, where butterflies live and hide in the branches of bramble bushes, wise and slow, butterflies who knew and know what there is and what will be, especially at the hour when one drinks the sour wine of grapes that grew on floors of turquoise marble, and I raise my glass and there, toasting you, I will be.

2023, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, 06 JUL 2023, Valencia, España

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I have talked a lot about my invention, the Euro-Ku before, so I will just mention that the Euro-Ku is a style of poetry that aims to connect with the traditional Japanese Haiku, but from a Western perspective. One must stay true to their own identity and the only way to appreciate a work of art is through the lens of one’s personal background, life experiences, and position in society. Therefore, I concluded that as a Western poet, it would not be appropriate for me to write a traditional Japanese Haiku. Instead, I chose to create something…similar…to convey the same concepts.

Thus on the 2nd of February 2022, the Euro-Ku was born. It has three verses but without syllabic count and with the requirement that the verses must be clearly understood by all and flow into each other in a simple, straightforward manner. And then there’s the illustration. The Euro-Ku must be accompanied by an original illustration created by the poet…