Hugo MUJICA, Argentina
CONFESSION
The poem, the poem I hanker for,
the poem I strife after,
is the poem one can read aloud without being heard by anyone.
It is that impossibility that always begins,
it is with that illusion
that I write and erase.)
from: “Y siempre después el viento”, Visor, Madrid, 2011
***
In the pond
the stars speak out
the earth
sends up
its earthy incense
the word
listening to the night
and all names
all
in one late bird
*
Knocking at the door
of the empty house
not that they might open,
that I hear myself calling
*
Dawn
quiet,
as if not moving
so that the blood not overflow the mouth
quiet,
as if sensing a bird
wounded
in the palm of the hand
without closing the hand
without opening the eyes
there is a faith that is absolute:
a faith without hope.
Translated by Joan Lindgren
From: “What the Embrace Embraces”,
Coimbra Editions, San Francisco, California, 2008
HUGO MUJICA, was born in Buenos Aires in 1942, studied Fine Arts, Philosophy, Philosophical Anthropology and Theology. Not only these studies are reflected in his works, but also his travels and experience as a monk in a monastery. His mainly short poems are deep philosophical reflections, mysticism, with an oriental flavour, poetry to read not once, but again and again.
Mújica also wrote a number of essays, such as “Kyrie Eleison” (1991), “Kénosis” (1992), “La palabra inicial” (1995), “Flecha en la niebla” (1997), “Poéticas del vacío” (2002), “Lo naciente” (2007), “La casa y otros ensayos” (2008) and “La pasión según Georg Trakl” (2009).
His poetry work, initiated in 1983, has been published in several countries. Seix Barral Argentina published “Poesía completa 1983-2004” (Complete poetic works) in 2005. “Y siempre después el viento”, published in Spain by Visor in 2011 is so far his latest poetry collection.
