Moisés Villavicencio Barras

Los Pajaros Regressan

Los pájaros regresan
sin que tu memoria note,
son como una espina
que el viento rompe
en el aire de la noche.

En el suelo de materia única
los pájaros se alimentan
de los restos humanos
que dejo el invierno.

Nosotros,
no volamos hacia el sur,
ni conocemos sitios secretos
para escondernos de la muerte.
Si levantamos el vuelo
es cuando tú me reclamas
por la falta de sol,
por falta de las alas en tu voz
cuando te despiertas con los pies
pisando espejos rotos.

Los pájaros regresan,
vienen a limpiar con sus picos
nuestra alma agotada,
nuestra cabeza de asfalto.

English Translation:

Birds are Back

The birds are back
and your memory did not notice
Those birds are like a thorn
that the wind breaks
in the night’s air.

From the soil of lonely material
birds feed on human remains
that winter forgot.

We neither fly south
nor know secret places
to hide from death.
If we take flight
that is when you yell at us
for the lack of sun
for the lack of wings
in your voice,
when you wake up to step
on broken mirrors.

The birds return,
to clean with their beaks
our heads of asphalt
our tired souls.

Tortuga

Tortuga nace enterrada
en el vientre en luto de la arena.

Tortuga se arrastra y vuela
en el abismo enfermo de las aguas,
aprende a respirar
como un pequeño buda.

Tortuga duerme entre las algas,
su estrella traza la ruta
en sus ojos de anciana.

Tortuga vuela en tu pecho,
es una lechuza acuática
en las corrientes marinas de tu alma.

English Translation:

Turtle

Turtle is born buried
in the belly, mourning of sand

Turtle crawls and flies
in the diseased abyss of waters.
Turtle learns to breathe
like a little Buddha.

Turtle sleeps among algae,
her star traces the route
in her elderly eyes.

Turtle flies in your chest,
like an aquatic owl
in the sea currents of your soul.

Moisés Villavicencio Barras is a Mexican poet, translator, fiction writer, and co-founder of Cantera Verde, a magazine that has been one of the most significant literary publications in Mexico for the last twenty years. His first book of poetry May among Voices (Mayo entre Voces) was published in 2001. His poetry has been selected for several Mexican anthologies, magazines, and CDs. His children’s book Urarumo (2005) was published and distributed for the Department of Education in Oaxaca, México. He received two writing fellowships through the National Commission for the Arts in Mexico (1993-1994 and 1996-1997).

Moisés’ poetry also has been published in the United States in such publications as Verse Wisconsin and Beatitude Golden Anniversary and in Canada in Contemporary Verse 2. His children’s book, Tito, the Lost Bellybutton, was published in 2012 by the Department of Public Instruction of Oaxaca, México. His newest book of poetry, published by Cowfeather Press, is called Luz de Todos los Tiempos / Light of All Times and contains poems in Spanish and English.