Density 45
written in June 2012 and edited in 2013
In the mattress
filtered by its cover
or drank in pure drops
rests 10 times my volume
all the filth of the world
gathering grease
on the corner of things
5 years of mold and sloppiness
5 years of fervor
5 years of fear
– Lift it up, Caroll, the mattress to air it out
– Let’s buy a slat
– We have to make another cover
But there was no airing out, slat or cover
it rotted
green on brown
in our Chinese room
its cold and brown floor
all the humidity and ferns
and maidenhairs on the retaining wall in stone
from suck to bite marks spread along the mattress
which was
my own head,
inflated
my sorry eyes
today
bowed
in the guestroom standing upright against the wall
behind the door
there’s a corner missing from the mattress
all the more today
it remains folded in three
it became
a puff
a pauper sofa
of ulcers
in the living room
covered
surrounded by fleas
density 45 of dark grey foam
light grey cover
and a patch even lighter
getting lighter from inside to beyond
in layers
as if time applied
in candid coats
some ageing
or erased
by turning whiter and whiter
the love
Translated into English by Wagner Miranda
_
Original text in Portuguese:
Densidade 45
No colchão
filtrado pela capa
ou sorvido em gotas puras
está 10 vezes meu volume
toda a imundície do mundo
acumulando gordura
no canto das coisas
5 anos de mofo e desleixo
5 anos de fervor
5 anos de medo
– Levanta, Caroll, o colchão pra respirar
– Vamos comprar um estrado
– Temos que fazer outra capa
Mas não houve respiro ou estrado ou capa
ele apodreceu
verde sobre marrom
no nosso quarto chinês
seu piso frio e marrom
toda a umidade e samambaias e avencas
do muro de arrimo
em pedra
chupadas a mordidas pelo colchão
que era minha própria cabeça inflada
meus olhos sentidos
hoje
abaulado
no quarto de hóspedes
de pé
na parede
atrás da porta
falta uma quina ao colchão
mais hoje ainda
dobrado em três
tornou-se
um pufe
um sofá pobre
de úlceras
na sala
coberto
entre pulgas
densidade 45 de espuma cinza escura
capa cinza clara
e um remendo cinza ainda mais claro
clareando de dentro em diante
em camadas
como se o tempo pintasse
em mãos alvas
algum envelhecimento
ou apagasse
cada vez mais branco
o amor
Heyk’s blog: http://heykpimenta.blogspot.com.br/ (in Portuguese)
[…] 45” also from his most recent book was translated by Wagner Miranda and you can read it here: https://brincandodedeus.wordpress.com/2014/02/16/44-density-45-by-heyk-pimenta/. The Portuguese originals of these poems are at the bottom of the page and to read more of Heyk in […]
Congrats for the great translations, Rob. I really hope to be able to collaborate with you on future projects. All the best. =)