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João Camilo Poem
Act I
Evening. A boy offer to a girl in a balcony a white rose.
Flower among wild flowers, white flower, white rose,
Come now to the balcony and stretch your hand fair.
I shall boon you with a flower worth to be your pair:
Flower among wild flowers, white flower, white rose,
If my name do not cause you shame or a light blush,
Then give it to the four winds and offer me a trade:
Your name so I can follow the open road ahead
In the woods of ancient trees and newborn lush.
I climb to you under the crimson lover’s moon
And leave after in your lips I see a new bloom.
Even for the sun, it is hard to go in a maiden’s room,
The window’s glass does not mean to halt his strike,
Both heat and love can be gentle and scorching alike:
Even for the sun, it is hard to go in a maiden’s room.
Without a key, even the wind will remain outside,
A key with gold and silver blending also so rare
That truth and beauty merge with the same share.
Is it true? I will keep my purity and forfeit my pride.
Oh, give me a full moon night to dream and return
With another boon to make my face and heart burn.
Act II
The girl goes to the backyard of her house where we see a rose tree.
Oh, my heart wakes with such sweet melody.
I wonder if angels are dancing while hearing.
How is it possible? My heart is under custody
of three small words, my eyes are now tearing:
what do I see in the three of my youth days?
A rose is gone? And the same rose that I hold?
Now a sharpening grasp on my heart I can feel,
Why the truth was hidden, why didn’t he told
He came to steal? Better if he also tried to steal
Red Rose, proud Rose, sad Rose of all my days?
Act III
Before the balcony. It is morning. The boy is alone. With another rose.
The girl came with a hand on her bosom,
Carrying white roses on an osier basket.
“here” ,she said and then a white cascade
Appeared and covered the young lad,
“do not stand still, why just one blossom?
Better to love as many as you can get,
Make all flowers, all white roses be mine,
And my heart will be your love’s shrine.
The boy danced under the white rain:
“Tomorrow”, he said, “I will steal again”.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2012
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João Camilo Poem
The wind blow carried me away
To a valley, where silence dwelt,
In sleeplike calm, I waited the day
Love would also be carried astray.
He will arrange his arrows and bow
Beside the rose tree where I lay
And listening to a melody low
He would replace the sun’s glow.
I would wake up but with my lips
Dried because he declined me a kiss,
Beneath the hill where night sleeps
To a new dawn, hear the star’s gossips:
Love rather be bounded by a chain
Than keep wandering freely in vain.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2013
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João Camilo Poem
You are born to dance with the wind,
veiled within a circle of oak’s trees,
Half-dressed by moving shadows,
Half-exposed by bold daylight.
Jasmines by the left side, dandelions by the right side
dancing together with you, nymphs, satyrs and sprites.
The melody luring a brown bird,
Silent with cautious veneration,
advances over valleys and hills
until reaching the sea shore.
Beauty framed you with Music, Beauty will gird
you in a bower, close is the night of your coronation.
My eyes follow as you move
Spiraling between my fingertips,
Sweet scented boon of Spring
Meet the dwelling of my spirit,
You will last less than a day, you will last less than love
but is there a fancier grave to lay than her smiling lips?
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2013
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João Camilo Poem
Oh, rest once more on my green pasture,
like you did the night before, my blossom:
Yesterday, the breeze took your scent afar
stealing the furtive and precious pleasure
that I shared only with the evening star
that courts lonely the pink-dyed moon.
Remember the day when a wayward twist,
while you walked among the flower walls
measuring beauty with tepid innocence,
left you bare-dressed only by modesty
and then you hid your fair semblance
with blue, red, white and yellow petals.
Oh, lay and let me feel your breath on me,
your chest pressed against the dry leaves
dew drops sliding down by your back.
Spring after spring, you have come alone,
stepping merrily on the old stone track
after the quietness that nature improves.
Beauty and nature share one essence,
Unspoiled by the time reaping presence.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2013
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João Camilo Poem
Do not stay there for long, little bird,
can’t you hear? She is coming anytime
and will say: “leave, this place is mine.
you are free to go, I see no iron gird.”
But if you are resolute to stay, be silent,
enough of your melody, not until she
reaches my arms and her gentle touch
warms me and beautify the moment.
Oh, on her bosom you choose to nest,
where I can find you, safe in heaven,
the spotless sky, where stars leaven
with their gleam her silver-light dress.
Either way, carry swiftly a message:
You are not a love’s single hostage.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2014
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João Camilo Poem
In a plaza, when a smiling man
Is faced by a fuming woman:
Why are you angry if I smile?
I have been smiling for awhile,
Since the day I took from your lips
The smile you wanted to give
With a blow on your fingertips.
If my smile I wanted to give
I shouldn’t have been so naïve
To believe you would display
My smile in every public place
Like you are doing the whole day.
But aren’t we in a public place?
There is no shame, only grace.
I was just having an innocent walk
But now that you are awake,
Let’s smile and have less talk.
I was dreaming and not awake
The night you came to take
the smile which you still keep
Upon your lips all the time,
Wondering when I will sleep?
I was waiting the right time
To make our smiles both rhyme.
I will give your smile back,
Lower now your defenses:
Here is my smiling attack…
The woman is now silent
But the smile is permanent.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2015
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João Camilo Poem
Tell me a story, I may sleep,
with a charmed princess
in a small and remote keep
with a narrow dark access
Will the wild animals talk?
There will be spells and magic?
The plants and objects will walk?
The final will be happy or tragic?
Do not ask, it is your choice.
I will only need to hear
your sweet-pitched voice
and feel your presence near.
Come, give me your hand
Let’s travel to the fairyland.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2015
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João Camilo Poem
She sews a little too slow,
Sews my hand around her waistline
And the words together.
She says: You are mine,
I lean my chin on her shoulder,
Sometimes I feel new,
Sometimes I am older,
But she still ties my fingers and our eyes
She gave me a flirt,
We work together for the same,
Holding the strands
And repeating: Je T’aime
I like to pretend we are in Paris,
Sometimes under the rain,
Until she gave me a kiss
With my hands around her waist.
Evenings are lost this way:
Counting raindrops like a clock.
We do it everyday,
She sewed my hands around her waist…
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2013
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João Camilo Poem
With a kiss you said goodbye
And I know a kiss shouldn’t lie,
But yet, I see you by the fire
listening a boy playing his lyre.
The wind blows a bamboo’s flute,
You dance their song barefoot
Around a abandoned rustic bow,
Whirling an iron-tipped arrow,
I see why you didn’t want to go,
So return to kiss me a hello,
I will remove my shoes too
And join the hunting dance,
But if I give you a chance
Pierce me with a gold glance.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2015
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João Camilo Poem
After the wild roses stopped to bloom,
I visited your backyard each afternoon.
I counted the thorns of your rose tree,
wondering if a new bud I would see…
You didn’t come and lean by the window,
combing your hair under the afterglow.
The night wind carried you to me instead,
as I pillowed my head on the root’s thread.
You left the door open on the morrow,
when a new pink rose started to grow.
Should I leave the rose – young and pure -
or Should I follow your lead –
The future
gave to me no more than one queen
blossoming in a garden left unseen.
Copyright © João Camilo | Year Posted 2013
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