Este suelo secreto / Esdras Parra

Esdras Parra was born in Santa Cruz de Mora, in the state of Mérida. She has published poetry, fiction and criticism. Her essays appear regularly in El Nacional, El Universal, and other Venezuelan publications. Parra was awarded the Premio de Poesía de la Bienal Mariano Picón Salas in 1993. These five poems are translated from the original Spanish versions in her first collection of poetry, Este suelo secreto (Monte Avila Editores, 1995).

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This Secret Floor (selections)


The word that's woken
by that late dream
beside your route
navigates through your voice
secretly walks
over the buzzing rocks
answering your enigmas
with an ache in its bones.




In your rooms
there are no tears
nor stairs sinking
into shipwrecks
nor sand arrived
from dreams
only a rock
that shifts in the frost
or leans over to speak
with silence.




Your words shine like bones
they've seen daybreak
stuck at one side of the wall
and the tongue fleeing the candle
sighs for silence
unexpected silence
codified by sound
dawn no longer feels ashamed
arriving with naked shoulders.




And you knock on the door
with a visible sound
that makes you tremble
with an arid sound
that echoes a scream
with your quiet voice
that door opens
within boredom.




With the word's effort
which is endless
or which lends itself to lifting edges
with that announcement
you walk toward your habit
what you abandoned
next to the cup of coffee
to which you'll return
if someday
you find yourself standing
on the high sidewalk
at the shore of your illusory life.