letter from a castaway

(Translated from Spanish by Toshiya Kamei)

 

With the consent of the snow
I slow my steps.

Someone waits by the fire.
Blinded by the cold,
I make short stops,
shake my umbrella, and start again.

The only secret is not to feel
stuffed with truth.
Never accept the invitations
from the mist
under its disguises
of a happy landscape, of great dreams.

Someone says he got lost,
someone comes looking for me
and brings the warmth of a bottle
I send you with this message.

---

ana merino was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1971. She is the author of five poetry collections, most recently Compañera de Celda (2006). She has won the Adonais and Fray Luis de León awards for poetry. She is currently Assistant Professor of Spanish at Dartmouth College.