Poetical Quill Souls

Poetical Quill Souls

This blog contains a collection of renowned and young authors from around the world poems in the languages in which they were originally written. Each file includes author’s photo or portrait and brief biography. We offer news and announcements of interest to professional and amateur writers (writing competitions, poetry press, etc) too.

Este blog recoge una selección de poemas de reputados autores y jóvenes promesas de todo el mundo en las lenguas en las que fueron escritos originalmente. Se incluye en cada ficha una breve reseña biográfica del autor y fotos o cuadros de éste. Se complementa el grueso del material con datos de interés para escritores profesionales o aficionados a la literatura (como información sobre certámenes literarios, editoriales dedicadas a la poesía, etc).

Mary Oliver

Mary OliverThe swamp

Last night, in the rain, some of the men climbed over
the barbed-wire fence of the detention center.
In the darkness they wondered if they could do it, and
knew they had to try to do it.
In the darkness they climbed the wire, handful after
handful of barbed wire.
Even in the darkness most of them were caught and
sent back to the camp inside.
But a few are still climbing the barbed wire, or wading
through the blue swamp on the other side.

What does barbed wire feel like when you grip it, as
though it were a loaf of bread, or a pair of shoes?
What does barbed wire feel like when you grip it, as
though it were a plate and a fork, or a handful of
flowers?
What does barbed wire feel like when you grip it, as
though it were the handle of a door, working papers,
a clean sheet you want to draw over your body?


Mary Oliver (Maple Heights, Ohio, EE UU, 1935). Docente y poeta. Entre sus premios, el National Book Award y el Premio Pulitzer.