Ars Poetica/Ars poética

By Claribel Alegría

I,
poet by trade,
condemned so many times
to be a crow,
would never change places
with the Venus de Milo:
while she reigns in the Louvre
and dies of boredom
and collects dust
I discover the sun
each morning
and amid valleys
volcanoes
and debris of war
I catch sight of the promised land.

Yo,
poeta de oficio,
condenada tantas veces
a ser cuervo
jamás me cambiaría
por la Venus de Milo:
mientras reina en el Louvre
y se muere de tedio
y junta polvo
yo descubro el sol
todos los días
y entre valles
volcanes
y despojos de guerra
avizoro la tierra prometida.

From Fugues. (Curbstone Press, 1993)
Translated by D.J. Flakoll.

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