In Flight

I gave the naked woman
in the old-fashioned photograph
butterfly wings
seated her on a bicycle
and she took off flying

She flies around inside me
she appears and disappears
you can feel her pollen
sifting between
a large wheel
and a tiny one

She pedals along
flaps her wings
looks at me
sticks out her tongue
smiles
flies high
swoops back down
and vanishes from my mind.

Enrique Agramonte Robles ©
Translated by Pamela Carmell

The Little Paper Bird

The little paper bird saw the pink lightning of the kiss
and she thought:

What light bathes the face and shoulders of that sailor,
and makes a beautiful siren in love
leap into the calm of those waters and love him?

As if guessing her thoughts,
I cried out putting my hand on the helm

All love is born from the depths of the ocean!

(Of course I meant it as a joke)

But mad with love she threw herself into the sea,
and the little paper bird dissolved
into the quiet, cold water.


Enrique Agramonte Robles ©
Translated by Pamela Carmell