PANDEMIC | PANDEMIA

By hola | Published April 13, 2020 | No Comments

(Spanish version below)
A poem by Jorge Argueta, a Salvadoran living in San Francisco, whose poem “Meditating” (translated into English by Elizabeth Bell) may help alleviate stress and promote contemplation of the meaning of the pandemic. Jorge is the author of three children’s books and a collection of bilingual poems: Flesh Wounds, published by Arte Público Press.

What if we see the pandemic

As a hard blessing

And a cue to reflect

That truly

Life is beautiful

And we need to see ourselves

As family

Without distinction

And love each other

And learn to give tenderness

What if we learn to love

Our Mother Earth

And take care of ourselves

And take care of her

What if in our isolation

We learn to listen to each other

With understanding

And look with wonder at every pebble

Every shadow

What if we marvel

At the sunset, at the song

Of a bird

At a droplet of water

And what if we listen

With a new ear to the children

And the elders

And what if we search inside ourselves

And realize

We actually don’t need a lot

That the ultimate beauty

Is what we now

Miss so much

To hug

To look into each other’s eyes

That we really lack for nothing.

Un poema por Jorge Argueta, salvadoreño radicado en San Francisco, cuyo poema “Meditando” (traducido al inglés por Elizabeth Bell) podrá ayudar a aliviar el estrés y promover la contemplación del significado del pandémico. Jorge es autor de tres libros infantiles y un poemario bilingüe: En carne propia / Flesh Wounds, publicado por Arte Público Press.

Y si vemos la pandemia

Como una dura bendición

Y nos sirva esta experiencia para reflexionar

De que la vida verdaderamente

Es hermosa

Y debemos vernos

Como hermanos

Sin ninguna distinción

Y amarnos

Y aprender a darnos ternura

Y aprendamos a amar

A nuestra Madre Tierra