By Luis Bravo
“Oh, how much time spends the shadow
being nothing”
—Andrés Echevarría
the shadow comes from the collapsed form of “sch (e) adew (e)”
the shadow loses the “dow” and almost be comes a “she”
the shadow of the chimpanzee parades on the catwalk of the progeny
the shadow busies itself with being unnoticed
the shadow-she sits invisibly by you
the shadow moved everything but the petrous midday
the shadow, clean stain
the shadow will be gone after you are gone
the shadow of forests brightening
the shadow of air in clouded skies
the shadow of enveloping wings
the shadow is yours but not to keep
the shadow’s line, a trace, a bruise
the shadow as abstract geometry
the shadow is a truthful hideaway
the shadow, cover up of facts
the shadow of the statue moves all day
the shadow of your hero lingers in the shadows?
the shadow little by little grows
the shadow Round Midnight goes blind on the sundial
the shadow of Laika, the avant-garde astrodog,
rocks´round the clock
as Halley’s Comet sings the first rock and roll orbiting Earth
the shadow is metaphysical, you know, who knows how far away it may go
the shadow of time, for example, I saw her swimming among infinite light beams
the shadow, virtue’s coal
the shadow, darkness to unveil
the shadow, mystery bowl
the shadow shuts its trap
the shadow, loyal bitch
the shadow like a killer on your heels
the shadow in silk and wearing gloves
the shadow of prayer holds the world together
the shadow clings to nonbelievers
the shadow fights on the battlefield of faith
the shadow of a candle divides the world in two
the shadow an unwanted party guest
the shadow throws
the shadow of a condor against the white- quartz walls
the shadow delves into the secret bottom of truth
ah, the shadow of grapes
under sweet shaded kisses…
the shadow of God in the wretched face of saints
the shadow protects the foremen of Devil
the shadow intangible
the shadow of Virgil saying he is no longer a man
the shadow no-thing no-being
the shadow as used as any other thing
the shadow unrepentant user of your steps
the shadow distractedly lost its body
the shadow dreams of independence
—Chinese shadow-art lends reason—
the shadow is a serious thing until you tickle the artist
the shadow snitches on vampires who do not reflect in mirrors
the shadow of the poet and his lover: one long, lone shadow alone
the shadow nevermore of the raven standing on a bust of Pallas
the shadow of the Charrúa or the Ioway
people locked up in the continent of Runiyoucan
the shadows of the Official History where natives have no place
the shadows of Tacuabé’s bow and Guyunusa’s feathers in a Parisian antique shop
the shadow is clearly an inverted lighthouse standing tall
the shadow of Julio Inverso´s poetry like a diamond in the dark
the fine needle shadow of the Gothic cathedrals
the shadow written in blood in the last of Batman’s tragedies
the shadow has no fold or wrinkles but still it´s Baroque
the shadow, pyramid of Earth where Sor Juana kindled First Dream
the shadow of a black cat chasing after all the inquisitors
the shadow sings in babbling drunk
the shadow of desire and its theater of dreams,… Sir William
the damp shadow of mine dearest dead in the whiteness of bone
the shadow, corona around the face of the moon
the shadow-eye
the shadow chasing the grim shadow
foot print of thought
“Beware of the shadow” reads the warning sign
the shadow of the war always shows the big powers tail
the shadow under the brim of the hat of Carlitos Gardel
“shadows, nothing more, between your…” shadow and mine
Shade, truth disguised mirror, Oh, Plato!
Oh, The Matrix!
the shadow, impeccable cliché for
Crime Fiction
the shadow, as innocence, is unborn
the shameless shadow of the ego
the shadow is not just a game of words
the dictum shadow plays among the shadows of the meaning
the shadow of the wind
the shadow of a timbó tree with a thousand ears keeps secrets untold
the mountain’s shadow inspiring the Yin- Yang in Chinese poets
the tiny shadow, spilled ink of its own voice.
Luis Bravo is an Uruguayan poet, essay writer and literature professor. After “Swift Tree” (1998) his work has focused on Latin American critical studies in the USA. His poems have been translated and published in magazines and anthologies, in English, French, Swedish, German, Portuguese and Stonian. He attended the International Writing Program at The Iowa University in 2012.
Translated into English by Fanny del Río.
Edited by William Blair.
