"I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books."

Borges

Friday, December 21, 2007

Poetry Friday Hosting - Rain, Alegria and Secession


Happy Solstice everyone!

Last time I hosted, I made a fun poem of all your links - am I up for the challenge again? We'll see...I will round it up in a separate post late tonight so be sure to check back for the round up.

Wow, it's only 7:30ish in the morning here and there are already 27 poems up! That's fantastic. I'm headed off to work, but will be trying to look through and read each of your poems throughout the day. Sounds like we have quite the diverse and interesting batch as usual! I'm so grateful to Poetry Friday. I'd never get a chance to find all these great poems, discover new poets and read original works without you all. I'm so looking forward to a new year of poetry with you all!

It's Solstice, the Lakota Nation has announced that they will secede from the U.S. and become their own country (!), I turned 46 and I just launched a cooking website. It's been a crazy, wild, wonderful December. What a way to end the year.

Happy Holidays everyone! Here's Mr. Linky and please do leave a comment.

My Poetry Friday offering is Claribel Alegria (her name just makes me smile), with an interesting little poem in Spanish called Tamalitos de Cambray. I'll do my best to translate it for you. I've also attached two Youtube videos, one in English, one in Spanish so you all can get to know the lovely Ms. Alegria a little better. I love when she talks about how how important reading is.





TAMALITOS DE CAMBRAY

(5,000,000 de tamalitos)

A Eduardo y Helena que me
pidieron una receta salvadoreña.

Dos libras de masa de mestizo
media libra de lomo gachupín
cocido y bien picado
una cajita de pasas beata
dos cucharadas de leche de Malinche
una taza de agua bien rabiosa
un sofrito con cascos de conquistadores
tres cebollas jesuitas
una bolsita de oro multinacional
dos dientes de dragón
una zanahoria presidencial
dos cucharadas de alcahuetes
manteca de indios de Panchimalco
dos tomates ministeriales
media taza de azúcar televisora
dos gotas de lava de volcán
siete hojas de pito
(no seas mal pensado es somnífero)
lo pones todo a cocer
a fuego lento
por quinientos años
y verás qué sabor.



Claribel Alegria

Little Cambray Tamales

(makes 5,000,000 little tamales)
- for Eduardo and Helena who asked me
for a Salvadoran recipe


Two pounds of mestizo cornmeal
half a pound of loin of gachupin
cooked and finely chopped
a box of pious raisins
two tablespoons of Malinche's milk
one cup of enraged water
a fry of conquistador helmets
three Jesuit onions
a small bag of multinational gold
two dragon's teeth
one presidential carrot
two tablespoons of pimps
lard of Panchimalco Indians
two ministerial tomatoes
a half cup of television sugar
two drops of volcanic lava
seven leaves of pito*
(don't be dirty-minded, it's a soporific)
put everything to boil
over a slow fire
for five hundred years
and you'll see how tasty it is.

*pito means to whistle, it's also an sleep-inducing herb; but there's another translation. It's slang for penis (which is why she is saying don't be dirty minded).



So wow! The Lakota Nation and Russell Means are seriously doing this. Wow. I wonder how events are going to unfold. Any thoughts? When I hear the word secession, I think of Ashley Wilkes leaving Melanie and Scarlett at the barbeque. This is serious. Wow.

That's it! You're rounded up here.


25 comments:

Jennie said...

I'm in for Poetry Friday with one we always read on Christmas Eve...

http://tushuguan.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-poetry-friday.html

Elaine Magliaro said...

Thanks for doing the roundup this week!

At Wild Rose Reader, I have an untitled poem I wrote for this week's poetry stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Mary Lee said...

We will toast the Lakota Nation at our Solstice celebration tomorrow night!

tanita✿davis said...

OH my word, Gina! Thanks for the heads up on the Lakota Nation site. We just don't get this kind of news in the UK, and though I read two online California newspapers, I must have missed this. This is HUGE.

And you're right: I do think of Ashley and Rhett when the word "secession" comes up. If this actually goes through, it will be the beginning of a big, big thing.

Sara said...

That video makes me want to HUG her. She's lovely. And the poem you translated too. Pious raisins will be in my head all day.

I left my link with Mr. Linky, but it's here, too.

Thanks for hosting!

laurasalas said...

I'm in with 15 Words or Less poems--write one--at http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/28142.html.

And also with a question about how your accent might affect how you read and write poetry. http://laurasalas.livejournal.com/27815.html

Thanks for hosting!

jama said...

This week I am suffering from acute intoxication due to Kelly Fineman's cookies -- I wrote an original acrostic.

Thanks for hosting!

Tricia said...

Gina,
Wow! What a month you've had. I can't wait to check out the cooking web site. Will you link to it for us?

I'm in today with an original poem.
http://missrumphiuseffect.blogspot.com/2007/12/poetry-friday-original.html
Thanks for rounding us up.
Have a wonderful holiday!

Anonymous said...

Hello & thanks for hosting. I'm in with a very old favorite --
http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/poetry-friday-twas-the-night-before-christmas/

Ruth said...

I've got some Frost today.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for rounding up. I'll be holding positive thoughts for the Lakota, and that the turning of the year will be a turning toward the light in more ways than one.

I love the enraged water and Jesuit onions and all the other "ingredients" in Ms Alegria's poem.

Sylvia Vardell said...

Thank you for hosting us. I've posted a bit about a new reissue of Aileen Fisher's poetry, DO RABBITS HAVE CHRISTMAS?

Susan T. said...

Gina, thank you for rounding up.

I posted a bit about a rhyming picture book: Redbird at Rockefeller Center.

Susan T.
Chicken Spaghetti

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Wow that is big news! Thanks for the heads up. I'll be watching/listening for more.

I've posted an original poem for Miss Rumphius' Poetry Stretch.

Becky said...

Thanks for rounding up, Gina, and happy holidays.

I'm in with Mr. Linky -- one poem (well, lyrics) for the winter solstice, and two favorite children's Christmas poems.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

Also, thanks for the links to Clarabel Alegria. I love that poem! She has a wicked sense of humor and perfect pitch.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting! My post is over at http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/poetry-friday-a-tribute-to-my-co-blogger-ruth/.

Sherry said...

Thanks for putting this Friday's poetry fest together. Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Darling said...

Im joining for the first time. I posted one I had written a couple of years ago.

web said...

I'm in with a review of Winter Poems.

Anamaria (bookstogether) said...

Thanks for hosting! I have a poem for Saint Thomas Eve (which was actually last night) from Christmas Folk by Natalia Belting, illus. by Barbara Cooney.

Anonymous said...

I've added another entry - a list of all the poetry volumes published in 2007.

http://susanwrites.livejournal.com/117405.html

Anonymous said...

Thank you for hosting once again.

web said...

A surprise second entry from me, as well! http://bunnyplanet.blogspot.com/2007/12/poetry-friday-ii-sort-of-haiku.html

Vivian Mahoney said...

Hope I'm not too late. Thanks for hosting!

I'm in with some Longfellow and Christmas Bells.

Have a great weekend!

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