Bosquejado por Fuego/ Outlined by Fire

My first poem in Spanish, translated in English below

Bosquejado por Fuego/ Outlined by Fire

Pongase a pie, y vee testigo! Esta noche es obscuro aterciopelado,
   como derramado de tinta negra, cascando del escritorio de Dios,
cubriendo la tierra con repantigado de cielo, un mantel de estrellas.
   El aire, fragrante con aroma deliciosa de jasmina, suave como susurro.
Esperante, tal vez.

Sospendiendo, al media-aire, una luz puede ser veido  :
   un punto de mandarina, fuego fundido,
una pluma del sangre llameante de la Tierra Madre, por vena abierta
    por la mano propia de ella, atomiza en gotas como lagrimas del angelos-
Mira! Que enchante!

El liquido naranjo pinta el aire, fluendo ,
   para crear vision nueva del nada- por una montana
empieza a tomar forma como magia, una pyramida esplendida
  se aparece bosquejado por lineas de fuego en el cielo- el pincel mas peligro
       en el mundo, a trabajo.

A esta coyuntura del Caribe y Cocos,  la tierra de probacion para mi propia obscura
  el fuego de mi alma se encendie la misma noche,
por mirar los resultos de union continental-
Las cicatrices de mi espirito, hecho por mi propia mano significa nada hoy por verlo
   de una vez, mi vision del futuro delineado claro para mi.

Con la lava caliente bosqujado en el aire, me siento mi alma vuela,
     sospendiendo en incredualidad, la belleza de lo que sea posible
de esta dia hacia adelante-
    no hay nada que puede hacer que mi persona no brilla como el sol
Nada mas.

Seis anos mas adelante, yo pienso-

El tiempo ha llegado para mi regresa a la tierra del mi hogar de verdadero.



Stand and bear witness! This night is velvety dark
  like a spill of ink cascading from the desk of God
and covering the earth with a sprawl of sky, a blanket of stars.
The air, fragrant with the delicious scent of jasmine, soft as a whisper.
   Expectant, perhaps.

Suspended in mid-air, a light can be seen:
   a tangerine colored point, molten fire
a plume of Mother Earth’s burning blood, from a vein opened
  by her own hand, sprayed in droplets like tears of angels-
Look! How enchanting!

The orange liquid paints the air, flowing,
  to create a new vision from nothing- for a mountain
begins to take form like magic, a splendid pyramid
  appears sketched in lines of fire in the sky- the most dangerous paintbrush
in the world, at work.

At this junction of Caribbean and Cocos, the proving ground of my own darkness
    the fire of my soul alights on this same night,
watching the results of the continental union-
The scars of my spirit, self-inflicted, mean nothing today for seeing this
   at once, the vision of my own future delineated clealry for me.

With the hot lava sketched in the air, I feel my soul fly
   suspended in disbelief, the beauty of what is possible
from this day forward-
     there is nothing that can make me not shine like the sun
any more.

Six years later, I am thinking-
The time has arrived for me to return to the land of my true home.








 

Author's Note

In January 2003, I sat on the roof of a hotel in Antigua Guatemala, watching Volcan de Fuego erupt in a Strombolian type eruption. It was a pitch black night, and the newly opened vent spurted lava into the air, and ran down the sides of the volcano, outlining the mountain in fire seemingly in mid-air before our eyes. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I thought of it tonight, as I start pondering my return to this incredible land, and decided to try to write about what it was like watching it that night.

Reviews

[Larry Dyson]

What else can I say that others have not?..well I particularly like the part in Spanish.."Sospendiendo, al media-aire, una luz puede ser veido :
un punto de mandarina, fuego fundido,
una pluma del sangre llameante de la Tierra Madre, por vena abierta
por la mano propia de ella, atomiza en gotas como lagrimas del angelos-
Mira! Que enchante! "

[Swetha]

wow...really intense poem. finally, one about the destructive power of nature!

[Marie Anzalone]

there are few things I have witnessed more awe-inspiring, beautiful, and heart-stopping than an active volcano. If that is not eorth writing about in verse, I do not know what is. The one 12 miles behind my house has been exceptionally active now for a full year. It is a wondrous and terrifying thing.

[gombeggar]

a painting in words that has yet to dry

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Marie,

Just beautiful. As ever your write with passionate ease, whisking your reader to new lands, captivating them with your vision. Absolutely wonderful. And the spanish is such a wonderful touch.

Kudos! Highest marks.

Very best regards, and have a wonderful weekend.

Rick

[JENY]

IT is difficult to believe that it is your first poem…
Perhaps…it is the first in Spanish….
You might have written in english before…
Because..your narration….resembles that of an experienced hand….
A beautiful work…

[cest la vie]

You simply never cease to amaze me..
This is what separates you from the rest of the pack..You are unique, articulate, intelligent, gentle, honest, fresh..

You will be a published writer one day..to not be is to do a disservice to the planet.

This is just stunning..simply stunning..

[Liza]

you did a great job; i know this is no easy task because spanish is a very emotionally rich language and lets face it - english is not :D
so you have to try extra hard to capture the essence - you did a wonderful job.

[Through the Gateway]

Such a beautifully written piece, Marie. I was enchanted both by the stunning visuals and emotion, but also by the Spanish version as I read it...almost hearing it read out loud to me.

What a wonderful moment in your life to witness. How many can say they bore witness to Nature's beautiful fury? Such an awesome reminder of a place where you felt truly at home.

Brilliantly written!

[Ellen Hammond]

You have painted a vivid picture with your imagery and words. It seems that some of the most dangerous things in nature are also some of the most beautiful when we open our eyes to see the beauty rather than let fear rob us of it.

[Emily B]

Me gusta mucho estas palabras de poesia, especialmente este linea:

me siento mi alma vuela

Unos dias, me pienso que mi alma puede volar. :)