Lasana M. Sekou: Pelican Heart

Life always has a way of interfering. The end of last month I spent it moving, and so far, this month of august, I've spent it getting settled into my new place. Being that the case, I haven't been keeping this literary endeavor current. Well, that will be no more. Now that I've dipped into caribbean literary soil with last month's Rey Andújar and his short stories, for august I bring the poetry of the Martinique Lasana M. Sekou. I stumbled upon his anthology of poems two days ago, a dual language anthology. And I decided, since I love poetry so much, that instead of essays for this month I will bring Sekou's poetry. Being that it is a dual-language compilation and that it is caribbean literature, I will be putting up both the english and the spanish translations.

AFTER/noon/SUN

This is how I sit
On the eve of day
Staring at the sun
Trying to let a ray
Penetrate my blue black soul
I close my eyes
Bow my head
And ask myself
Questions darker that night
Looking at the sun again
An afternoon breeze slides across my face
While the west is pulling the sun home
I hop on the wind's tail
In pursuit to snatch it from the evening sky
To string it back to high-noon
But night calls me over
Hey hunter... it whispers
Go sit at the eastern horizon
Wait there with your eyes closed
Wait...until morning summons daylight.
–Lasana M. Sekou

SOL/tras/LA TARDE

Así me siento
Al caer el día
Mirando al sol
Tratando de dejar que un rayo
Penetre mi alma negro azul
Cierro los ojos
Inclino la cabeza
Y me formulo
Preguntas más oscuras que la noche
Mirando de nuevo el sol
Una brisa vespertina se desliza por mi rostro
Mientras occidente jala el sol a casa
Salto sobre el rabo del viento
Tratando de arrancarlo del crepúsculo celeste
Y devolverlo al mediodía
Pero la noche me llama
Oye, cazador... susurra
Ve y siéntate en el horizonte del oriente
Espera allí con los ojos cerrados
Espera... hasta que la mañana llame la luz del día.
–Lasana M. Sekou

I didn't dismiss the calendar I created so lightly, I thought long and hard, and I also searched for essays in spanish, but given the circumstances and the fact that this book landed in my hands unexpectedly, I though, "What better material than another caribbean writer and poetry?"

*All the poems are directly from Pelican Heart: And Anthology of Poems by Lasana M. Sekou and in spanish: Corazón De Pelícano: Antología Poética de Lasana M. Sekou Emilio Jorge Rodríguez, editor.