WHEN THE EYES OF THE ALMIGHTY

When the eyes of the Almighty
Turn upon mine, I wish
To have them bathed in diamonds
clear, sure, as the coastline
of motherland where I was told
to turn my thoughts to Heaven
and my doubts to certainty.
A long journey has begun, since
those days of innocence and grace.
I have walked heaven and hell, and
through all I found love and despair.
With all I shared a bond of humanity,
so terrifying and liberating.
Among graceful and ungraceful
I walked and gathered crumbs and oysters.
My table had a spare plate that fed
roses and thorns alike.
Upon my last breath, I wish to see
all with whom I shared a laugh or a tear.
And when the eyes of the Almighty
turn upon mine I wish to hear
the ocean roar sending a dew of fresh water
on my face. Then, sure then, will I be
of my place in eternity.

H.ARAUJO June 9 2005

A day in the country. Santa MAria Azores 

Mortality/Immortality

The prospect of someone dying in the family has made me think about my own mortality and the words of the great portuguese poet Luis de Camões in the "Luisíadas":

"And those who by dauntless deeds
Are freed from the law of oblivion ( Death)"

Are we all concerned with immortalty? Can it be achieved through great works of art, science?
Can it give someone the taste of immortality? What do you think about the prospect of life's end?

A ideia da morte de um ente querido na família fez-me pensar na minha própria mortalidade e nas palavras do grande poeta português, Luis de Camões:

"E aquelles que por obras velerosas

se vão da ley da Morte libertanto"

Estaremos nós realmente preocupados com a questão da imortalidade? Será que ela pode ser atingida através da arte ou da ciência? O que pensas do fim da vida?

When life was light

This is Ziza.
We first met in S. Miguel - Azores...let me see...20...25 years ago. Well destiny surprised us when she married Peter from Holland who took her to Canada. B.C. Chilliwack. Two decades after we strolled the streets of Ponta Delgada city, we got together again for a wedding. She had changed. But her smile was still there.
Full time mom, I am sure she holds a secret desire to get back to public life. She has lots of potential. But she hates to write. It is hard work..you lazy... When I think of Ziza I think of other friends who keep alive our memories of the islands: Luis Bettencourt, Carlos, João Soares Ferreira, Carlos Tavares, Black, the vomiting water of the vulcanos and the beauty of the landscape.
Those were the days when life was light to us...

 

ENTRAMULA!: Pioneiros da Blogosfera A�oriana

This is an interesting blog from Azores. My friend Mario Roberto is full of imagination and he is a hard working artist. Lots of pictures. Take a look. Congratulations for your 2d anniversary.
ENTRAMULA!: Pioneiros da Blogosfera Açoriana

From an unknown Friend - De um Amigo Desconhecido

Surpresa Agradável

Talvez por distracção minha, não identificava a Humberta Araújo com a poesia. Conheço-a de vista desde criança, pois somos da mesma idade e estivemos na mesma escola primária. Na mesma escola se se esquecer que, na realidade, estava dividida em duas: do lado esquerdo a das raparigas, do lado direito a dos rapazes. Embora o muro que separava os dois recreios fosse baixo, a verdade é que nem através dele nos era permitido olhar de um lado para o outro, já que a Senhora Contínua logo mandava dispersar. Nunca tive assim oportunidade de falar com a Humberta mas sei que era uma das raparigas do lado de lá do muro, pelo que penso que posso dizer que fomos colegas. Desconhecia era a sua veia poética e foi uma agradável surpresa descobrir hoje este seu poema numa revista:

SE ME PERGUNTARES SE TENHO SAUDADES

Se me perguntares se tenho saudades
Digo-te que há muito esqueci seu sal!

...mas depois soam as tuas gargalhadas...
...o touro negro na noite clara...
...as hortênsias engalanando a porta de madeira...
...o sol lambendo-me a pele nua...
...o anzol nas mãos em ferida...
...a erva queimada nas canadas incógnitas...
...o sino tocando as trindades morenas...
...as uvas negras brotando do cesto de vimes...
...o teu olhar triste em todos os dias do meu horizonte...
...mas se me perguntares se tenho saudades
digo-te que há muito esqueci o seu sal!

Mexico on a Train to Montreal

I love trains. Who doesn't? Some people hate them. I know just one person who can't stand trains. He is not happy.
Well ... I hate airplains. Many people love them. A good thing about trains is the time they allow to relaxation. Just to be able to relax and look at the world through the window and travel all over the country the country and our minds. Interesting about trains is the chance they give us to make new friends. This happened to me last September. On my way to a wedding in Montreal I met Sybil, who some people said we were sisters. This is me with Sybil. (I am the one with short hair). I thing you could say we are sisters...

 

New York - city of Dreams

What a city!!!What a wounderfull oportunity to see a place where so much has been accomplished and so many have perished on the quest for a dream. Have you ever been in New york? Tell me about your experience. Last February I left Toronto under a Winter embrace to find Spring in New York. Sunshine, Life, Warmth. I will never forget it. I will visit again. As an azorean I looked for people from Azores. I was not lucky. I know that there are lots of Portuguese in the city, but I was unable to localize azoreans. If any of you know of Azoreans in New York please tell me.


Nova Iorque. Que cidade! Que bela oportunidade para conhecer um lugar onde tanto foi conseguido e onde muitos ficaram pelo caminho na conquista de um sonho. Tentei encontrar açorianos/as. Pouca sorte. Se souberem de alguém, digam-me.

 

Becoming a Blogger

There is always time for a first time. So here I am. Happy, frightened. It doesn't really matter. What is important is that we are together sharing my hopes of becoming fairly good mastering the intricate secrets of the blog world. I am sure I will have lots of help from you all. Thank you for this remarkable medium.

Há sempre uma vez para uma primeira vez. Aqui estou. Feliz, assustada e desconfiada. Mas tudo isso pouco importa. O que realmente importa é o facto de estarmos juntos partilhando as minhas esperanças de conseguir descobrir os intrincados segredos do mundo blog. Tenho a certeza que contarei com a ajuda de todos vós. Obrigado por este admirável média.

I came from far. Maybe not that far now. It has all become to close and familiar. The world, the stories, the laughs and the tears. They all feel, smell and taste the same. As humans we all share emotions and fears. I came from Azores, the portuguese islands. And with canadians of many nationalities I share the diaspora of all men and women who once left home. And I was reborn.

Vim de longe. Talvez nem tão longe agora. Tudo se tornou perto e familiar. O mundo, as estórias, as gargalhadas e as lágrimas. Partilham os sentidos, os cheiros, os paladares. Como seres humanos todos comungamos de emoções e medos. Vim dos Açores, as ilhas portuguesas. Tal como muitos canadianos de diversas nacionalidades partilho a diáspora de todos os homens e mulheres que um dia deixaram o lar. E assim renasci.