Where was your mind
At those nights you now bet
You hadn’t dreamt of anything?
It’s often said we dream every night
I wonder—how were those dreams
You let slip from your grasp?
Were they any wonder—
Were things out of line?
What secrets lay there?
Were you oblivious
In the face of grand fantasies
You would trade for reality?
Anyway, you’re back
Safe once again
I’ve updated the anthology to include this new poem.
There lived an okay poet, a man of his word.
No one lived happily ever after.
Before them, an okay life — stretched out.
Like poet, like audience.
The okay poet said, “it’s okay to be sad.”
I wouldn’t go that far as to go gentle into the night.
Far be it from me to run away from the set of conditions.
Yet I wouldn’t be caught between a rock and a hard place.
Isn’t it okay to be great?
The Words’ Word shapeshifts before these words.
Since I have some time now, I’ve put together this anthology for you all. If you think my effort is worth it and the quality is good, feel free to buy me a coffee, there’s a button at the end too. Feel free to share this post and comment too.
I’ve also added a few extra poems that you might not have seen before.
I’m testing an intricate idea here. This post is a single post with a collection of poems separated by pages (you might see page breaks depending on where you are reading this), with chapters and titles organized by the appropriate headings (no hyperlinks). Call it my postfolio; it’s a post analogous to a book.
Welcome to a journey through language, writing, and the metatextual world of poetry. We’ll explore how language can be both a creative tool and a barrier. From the playful frustration of crumpled drafts to the powerful imagery of ink and blood, these verses challenge traditional forms, blending free verse with deliberate constraints.
The author
Continuing the series of posts of translated poems. You can see the first of the series below:
Unlike before, I wrote this poem moments earlier today in Portuguese (inspiration can strike in any language, even as I focus on English) and immediately wanted to adapt it to English. Older portuguese poems will soon follow. I’m focusing now on new works.
In one second, it all falls down
Only then does it start to rise
Falling happens much faster
Inertia is only natural
Rising up requires intention
A freefall is something else
You wanted to board that plane
To skydive
To get your feet back on the ground
The original:
Um segundo e tudo cai
Só começa a se reerguer
Cair é bem mais rápido
Inércia é natural
Levantar requer intenção
Queda livre é diferente
Você quis pegar aquele avião
Saltar de paraquedas
Voltar os pés ao chão
Stay Tuned for the Next posts.
You know better than to know better
lies: you’re worse at what you do best
Or are you better at what you do worst?
Well, anyway, that doesn’t matter
Don’t you play the fool for me
I know better than to know paradoxes
Or thinking outside of those boxes
I know better than to write all this lingo
I’d be better off to live real life
My imaginary friend,
How have you been?
Long time no see
O, long-forgotten
…
Time to let go
Time always went
Reality check…
“Well, check that again”
Don’t worry about me,
Trust me, never better
My real friends…
Who would have imagined them?
T!el Fajardo
Jun. 24, 2024
Reveries That I Call Poetry 