Varella, Blanca

English

University of Montana

CutBank Volume 1 Issue 14 CutBank 14 Article 14 Spring 1980 First Dance translated by Elisabeth Hamilton-LaCoste Blanca Varella Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cutbank  Part of the Creative Writing Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Recommended Citation Varella, Blanca (1980) "First Dance translated by Elisabeth Hamilton-LaCoste," CutBank: Vol. 1 : Iss. 14 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cutbank/vol1/iss14/14 This Poetry is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in CutBank by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. Blanca VarelaFIRST DANCEI ’m a monkey, just a m onkey climbing up and down this gigantic red flower. Each one of my dark  bristles is a wing, a being steeped in desire and happiness. I have twenty supple black toes, all of which respond to my wishes.M aybe I ’m the only living being who moves, breathes and complains. The only one spinning round and around the snake and the mire, Elephant trunk , hum an sunflower fuzzy and clean, soloist, herm it, the plague. I am, undoubtedly, the one you hear breathing, spinning to catch the testim ony, the act bristling off tongues and eyes while they’re still trem bling, and can still remember.Why are we whining and groveling? Courage! There’s more than enough time, on with the feast! The guests generously show off their skulls, dirty beetles hitched to their memory. Should I tell them , just to see them turn  white, that more powerful hands w on’t throw  them into the void, that they’ll have to do it alone, throw themselves into w hat’s black, into what has no other side, no echo, not even a beginning or an end?I love this red flower, it’s not innocent.translated by Elisabeth H am ilton-LaC oste31

First Dance translated by Elisabeth Hamilton-LaCoste

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First Dance translated by Elisabeth Hamilton-LaCoste

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