The Painting
When she left, it was late in the evening
on the snow-covered path to the street
her footprints were not visible
On the road, there were too many
footprints to recognize if any of them
belonged to her
years like layers of wood stacked up when
I saw her in a painting by Paula Rega
So many suffering women abused by men
and their desire to be loved, causing them
to fall into hardship
They survived while I suckled on a nipple
another woman, risking her future in
the hope of love where there was none
the endless poverty doing others' laundry
hands red bloated a ring of promise, not
kept, impossible to remove.
these are the women who do not leave
footprints in the snow
Paula Rega gave them a voice, reduced
the men who had lost what they thought
was love, to fear ghosts in the longest night
Categories:
rega, absence, africa, allusion,
Form: Blank verse
Jardineira
Dona Dalva,
jardineira
dos corações,
semeia amizades,
colhe emoções.
entre os prédios
da cidade,
florescem
a rosa de
suas lições.
Seus gestos
são canções,
na horta da vida,
suas mãos são benções.
planta amor
e carinho,
rega-nos
com o rosa
de suas ações.
Categories:
rega, business,
Form: Free verse
It’s busy at tha deli,
So get ya-self in line an take a numba.
Got a special on baloney.
We’re gonna dance tha reputation rumba.
No matta its location,
A house is only ca-pentry and lumba.
You can neva be a homey
Unless ya do tha reputation rumba.
Tha butta betta be thea,
Rega-dless o tha pressa ya been unda.
Once tha lobsta’s on tha boila,
It’s time to do tha reputation rumba.
Tha masta’s on a benda;
That menace in his pocket’s no cucumba.
Betta shake ya salt and peppa,
He means to dance tha reputation rumba.
Miss Scarlett come a callin’
With demons gonna haunt you while you slumba.
Left a baby on ya da-step.
That’s how ya do tha reputation rumba.
And since ya daddy took a powda,
Ya can hea the sound o’ gossip loud as thunda.
It’s as clea as oysta chowda,
That dance step’s called tha reputation rumba.
Categories:
rega, humor, word play,
Form: Light Verse