75. In the Time of the Tumult of Nations (Samuel Hazo)
He tenido un tea party con niñas de 9-11 años. Hemos cocinado un bizcocho facilísimo, han elegido el té y la taza floral de su preferencia y nos hemos sentado a leer una pequeña selección de poemas que les imprimí: “If”, de Rudyard Kipling, “Jabberwocky”, de Lewis Carroll, “Boy at the Window”, de Richard Wilbur, “Never Again Would Bird’s Song Be The Same”, de Robert Frost, “On Turning Ten”, de Billy Collins (como están alrededor de esa edad, tenía curiosidad en ver cómo reaccionarían; creo que es más melancólico de la cuenta, aunque también creo recordar que mis 10 años también fueron melancólicos) y “In the Time of the Tumult of Nations” de Samuel Hazo (el autor de The World within the Word: Maritain and the Poet).
Había una chica muy lista y espabilada, la primera en saltar a decir que ella quería recitar uno, que se le daba muy bien. ¡Y tenía razón! Lo hizo mejor que cualquiera de mis alumnos de la universidad a los que les he pedido que leyeran un poema. Luego le pedí a otra que leyera uno pero estaba un poco indecisa, así que la chica lista le dijo que no se preocupara, que lo único que tenía que hacer era leer lentamente y dejarse llevar por el ritmo. Lo dijo mejor en inglés: let the poem whisk you away. (Me ha dado por buscar “whisk away” en Google y me sale: “Whisk you away” means to take someone away quickly and suddenly, often in a romantic or exciting way. ¿No es perfecto? ¡He ahí la poesía! “De la boca de los pequeños y de los niños de pecho te preparaste la alabanza” (Mt 21, 16).)
Elegí “In the Time of the Tumult of Nations” porque tiene un ritmo constante, muy marcial, de tambor, que se puede ir marcando con el pie. Es fácil de seguir y de recitar en un grupo, todos diciendo a una voz el verso que se repite y cada una de las personas diciendo uno de los otros versos. Es un poema que se siente en el cuerpo y que permite experimentar uno de los grandes placeres de la poesía y la fuerza expresiva que puede lograr.
IN THE TIME OF THE TUMULT OF NATIONS
Samuel Hazo
We thought that the worst was behind us
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We planned and we saved for the future
in the time of the tumult of nations.
The crowds in the streets were uneasy
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We murdered our annual victims
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We were fined if we smoked in the cities
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We gave and deducted our givings
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We kept the bad news from the children
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We wakened from nightmares with headaches
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We voted for men we distrusted
in the time, in the time, in the time,
in the time of the tumult of nations.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the ones who were wrong were the loudest.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the poets were thought to be crazy.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the President answered no questions.
In the time of the tumult of nations
Protesters were treated like traitors.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the airports were guarded by soldiers.
In the time of the tumult of nations
young women kept mace in their purses.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the rich were exempt in their mansions.
In the time of the tumult of nations
we waited for trouble to happen.
In the time of the tumult of nations
we lived for the weekends like children.
Like children we clung to our playthings
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We huddled in burglar-proof houses
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We said that the poor had it coming
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We readied our handguns for trouble
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We tuned in to war every evening
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We watched as the bombs burned the cities
in the time of the tumult of nations.
The name of the game was destruction
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We knew we were once better people
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We pretend we are still the same people
in the time, in the time, in the time,
in the time of the tumult of nations.