[Poetry] Surfacing by Lorena Caputo

Sometimes the waves of depression & despair
wash over me
Wash beat higher
A veces
me ahogan
A veces
me ahogo ….
I feel no solid ground
beneath these long feet
No sand rippled
by gently rolling water
I am adrift
floating arms stroking
the surface fear pushed
Stay calm
cálmate, mi hija
Tranquila
tranquila
Pero estas olas
crecen fuertemente
Me golpean
Ola contra mí
y yo contra las olas
I am drowning
El agua
the water stings my nose
my palate
I stifle my whimpering
si abriera la boca ….
Tranquila tranquila
mi hija
Cálmate
I wait for the sea to calm
the sea esta mar
atormentada por tormentas
No, no puedo perder
mi esfuerzo
Tranquila no luches
To fight is to tire you
Tranquila cálmate
My once-weak hands
now feel strong enough
to hold the pen to this page
Tranquila
In tranquility strength grows
Cálmate
I calm my self
the sea calms
The water
warm salada
El agua
ahora
tranquila
calmada ….
Lorena Caputo is a documentary poet, translator and travel writer. My poetry and narratives have been published in over 100 journals in Canada, the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia, such as Drumvoices Revue, Canadian Dimension, In Other Words: Mérida (Mexico), A New Ulster (Northern Ireland), Open Road Review (India) and Cordite Poetry Review (Australia). You may follow Lorena’s travels at Latin America Wanderer: www.facebook.com/lorrainecaputo.wanderer.