Lima, City with the Stretched out Wings [In English and Spanish]

Lima,
City with the Stretched out Wings

It's an ink-black night: no stars: a moon in sight

Just dots of: red, green and white-white lights

As the plane descends, descends, slides down
On the long-drawn-out-spun-out lingering city of lights
Uneven as a crumbled cake, lit up like a Christmas tree-

The sleepless city, with its stretched out wings

Stretching from the mountains to the sea-
Winding through the valley's, forests, and streams
Stretches, stretches its naked wings-endlessly

As,

I'm descending, down, over and around the city
(descending, descending, and sliding to the ground)

The city with stretched out wings-and endless lights
Down, behind, around, the ground, it's immune to me
I'm just part of its evening, a baptism in its inky sea

Invisible people: cats, dogs, birds, and rats-infinite

Uncountable: dots; streams of lit dots, dot-lights;
People: walking, talking, sleeping, eating by the dots
People: waiting, killing, robbing, praying, by the dots

For tomorrow, tomorrow and another tomorrow

They say-:

you are ruthless, and I know this to be true

And they tell me you have thieves and murders-

And this, I dare say-but shall-is also true, very true
But show me a city to the contrary of eight-million-?
I shake my fist and say: '?show me! But no one does'

So alive, so brave, with strong and hungry hearts;

I say, show me one that sings in poverty and smiles
Prove me one that celebrates year-round of its heroes
Show me painters that are as good-that sell on streets-

As good as: Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, and Yang Yang

And that welcomes the world with stretched out arms-

Show me all this, or some of this, and I will say no more

With this,

I descend to its streets, its crowed winding streets

As well as, to its neighborhoods with dust and soiled air,
And hear the laughs of the children; the dogs on roofs
Sights of the shoe-shiners: men and boys, in the parks

And the numerous food carts; -- musicians, paper sellers

And with its naked featherless wings, covering all

-My Lima, Peru with its renowned Cathedral:

Golden yellow with towering crowns, and

Within its plaza-square, a water fountain-celebrated.

Under its sins, with its wrinkled aged men, lovely women,

They all stand tall and bow to its Inca history, its glory-
Its world that once ruled all, like the Roman Empire,

Like the American Dream, they were the noble, the kings

And now, from drudgery and toil, sweat and strive, all, all Grinding, grinding away, each and everyday, lover of the, King of Kings: Jesus Christ-this is the Lima I know today; a mighty ship that has already sailed the seven seas, now resting!?

Spanish Version

Lima,
La ciudad con las alas extendidas
Translated by Rosa Peñaloza

Esta es una noche oscura: no estrellas, ni luna a la vista

Solo puntos: rojo, verde y blanco?luces blancas

Mientras que el avión desciende, desciende, bajando
A la larga-extendida-plana persistente ciudad de luces
Plana como un panqueque, encendida como un árbol de navidad-

La despierta ciudad, con sus alas extendidas

Extendidas desde las montañas hacia el océano
Zigzagueante a través de los valles, bosques y riachuelos
Estirando, estirando sus alas desnudas-interminables

Mientras,

Voy descendiendo, abajo, por encima y alrededor de la ciudad
(Descendiendo, descendiendo, y deslizándose a la tierra)

La ciudad con las alas extendidas-y luces interminables
Abajo, Abajo, detrás, alrededor, la tierra, es inmune a mí
Sólo soy parte de esta noche, un bautizado en su oscuro océano

Invisible: gente, gatos, perros, pájaros, y ratas, infinidad

Incontables: puntos, riachuelos de luz, puntos de luz;
Gente: caminando, conversando, durmiendo, comiendo bajo los puntos de luz
Gente: esperando, matando, robando, rezando bajo los puntos de luz

Por mañana, mañana y otro mañana

Ellos dicen--:

Tu eres implacable, y yo se que esto es verdad

Y ellos me dicen tú tienes ladrones, y muertes-

Y esto, me atrevo a decir, que esto también es cierto, muy cierto

Pero muéstrame una ciudad de ocho millones contraria --?
Sacudo mis puños y digo: "?muéstrame," pero nadie lo hace

Tan viva, tan valerosa, con corazones fuertes y hambrientos:

Digo, muéstrame una que canta en pobreza, y sonríe
Pruébame una como esa, que celebra alrededor del año a sus héroes
Muéstrame pintores tan buenos-que venden en las calles-

Tan buenos como: Picasso, Dali, Rembrant y Yang Yang

Y que recibe al mundo con extendidos brazos

Muéstrame todo esto, o algo de esto, y no diré mas

Con esto,

Desciendo a sus calles, atiborrada, zigzagueantes calles

Así como su raro vecindario con polvo en el aire
Y oigo la risa de los niños, los perros en los techos
Vista de los lustrabotas, hombres y muchachos, en los parques

Y los numerosos carros de comida, músicos y vendedores de periódicos

Y con su desnuda y desplumadas alas, cubriendo todo

-Mi Lima, Perú, con su renombrada catedral:

Amarilla dorada con su coronadas torres, y

Dentro de su plaza cuadrada, una celebrada pileta

Bajo su piel, con sus arrugados ancianos, tiernas mujeres,

Todos ellos parados altos, y reverenciando a su historia inca, su
gloria-
Su mundo que una vez gobernó todo, como el Imperio Romano

Como el sueño de América, ellos fueron los nobles, los reyes

Y ahora de pesadez, y esfuerzo, sudor, lucha, todos, todos extenuados, fatigados, este y cada día, amantes del Rey de los Reyes: Jesucristo-esta es la Lima que conozco, hoy; un poderoso barco que ya navegó los siete mares, ahora descansando?

Author/Poet Dennis Siluk, web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

---

A Dose of Laughter

I'm not well. Can't you tell? Kinda low, so,... Read More

Ode, to the Mighty Midget Omac [In English and Spanish]

Part One Midget HistoryI am thirty-six inches tall, that is... Read More

Robert Burns Love Poem: A Red, Red Rose

Robert Burns, a poor man, an educated man, and a... Read More

Ceasar Vallejo: Black Roses [In English and Spanish]

Cesar Vallejo: Black RosesBow down your head ol' poet- To... Read More

The Goat and the Rope [a Poem: in Spanish and English]

The Goat and the Ropewhere there were devils I saw... Read More

Two Poems, with Figurative Language

Says Mr. Dennis Siluk, when asked to review his poetry... Read More

Choices

You can do and you can be whatever you want.... Read More

Banana Republic

Like a cat I slumber, blissfully unencumbered, Through eighty per... Read More

THe Monster Mash, A Graveyard SMASH (short story I wrote when I was 11)

The Monster Mash The Graveyard SmashHave you heard of the... Read More

It Was Not Me

It was not me as I am now. It was... Read More

Birthday Messages

I WANTED TO SAY IT WITH A BUNCH OF FLOWERS... Read More

New Poetic Work By Ethiopian Immigrant Promotes Respect, Courage And Cultural Sensitivity

McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of... Read More

Little Girl from Huancayo [a poem/in English and Spanish]

Little girl from HuancayoDo you really, really know? Just how... Read More

Three Love Poems [all wicked]

Advance: Mr. Dennis Siluk's poetry can have its fire-hearted twists:... Read More

I Shall Wait...

I Shall Wait..On all the new mornings, and every singking... Read More

Poetry ?Reborn? Emerges In Thriller Mystery Novel

Since Mohamed Ali?then Cassius Clay?announced that he had written "The... Read More

Three Poems (While in Transition/English and Spanish)

Here are three more poems by the author, Dennis Siluk,... Read More

Thank You To Our Soldiers And A Tribute To Old Glory And A Prayer For Peace

Thank youDedicated to soldiers and their loved onesFor those who... Read More

The Cat

Truth is stranger than fiction according to many people who... Read More

Testimony to the Night [In English and Spanish]

In the quiet of the arctic night- In its deep... Read More

Breathing-in, Minnesota [a poem: now in Spanish and English]

In early fall, in Minnesota, the rain falls, falls, In... Read More

Biography of Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Bronte (1816 ?1855) Novelist and Poet.Charlotte was the daughter... Read More

Here And There

My eyes opened. I am still alive; Living on... Read More

Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Dog

Emlyn Williams Theatre, Mold, North Wales: 20th February 2003Clwyd Theatr... Read More

Stones

As I picked up some of the polished gemstones in... Read More

Walt Whitman, Romance With a Stranger

The concept of brief encounters, even romantic encounters, with a... Read More

The Gaul of La Laguna de Paca

Part OneI tell you a legend of long ago Of... Read More

Chan Chan and The Gorriones (Two Poems in English and Spanish)

The following two poems, one in English, the other in... Read More

Listen as I Share: WE

You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More

Antidotes for an Alibi

Amy King's first full-length collection, Antidotes for an Alibi, insists... Read More

Learn About Love From Poet Rumi

Learn about love by reading poetry by a long dead... Read More

Four Poems: Harvest of Apoplectic Horses [Katrinas Pathway]

Four Poems: Katrina's PathwayHarvest of Apoplectic Horses ((Dedicated to: Katrina))... Read More

You Lost Your Last Gamble and Me

I will never think twice nor will I roll the... Read More