BFAM Day 5: Wasted Away Again in Margaritaville
Alas, as today is the day Americans like to pretend to be abreast of Mexican history by drinking margaritas and eating chips and salsa (you don’t see us taking to the streets on July 14 every year to storm the proverbial Bastille, do you?), I thought I’d contribute to the dialogue by sharing one of my favorite poems.
Granted, Pablo Neruda was Chilean, not Mexican, but he did live in Mexico for a few years as a diplomat, so maybe that counts for something; I don’t know. Anyway, I had to memorize this poem in my sophomore Spanish class and it’s stayed with me ever since.
¿Qué es poesía?, dices mientras clavas
En mi pupila tu pupila azul.
¡Qué es poesía! ¿Y tú me lo preguntas?
Poesía eres tú.
And now, I must do my part as a culturally informed American by going to lunch with a few colleagues at the aptly named Cinco de Mayo restaurant down the street. If I don’t make it out to happy hour tonight, drink a margy or two for me. (Although, I was just informed that Sol in Franklin is attempting to break a world record by giving away–yes, as in for free–1300 shots of tequila at 8:00 this evening. Maybe I will make it out, afterall.) Olé!
Filed under: BFAM, Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Tags: alcohol, BFAM, Cinco de Mayo, culturally informed, holidays, Pablo Neruda, poetry
Feet on Polished Floor 
heh i had to memorize that, too. lol@mr maddox. i won’t translate it, since i remember it from then.
i will be drinking some margarita and eating chips and salsa and i will think of you when i do.
The mother of the bride at Friday’s wedding read a Neruda poem in the original Spanish (or tried to, in between tears). The cadence is so gorgeous, you don’t even have to understand the language to glean meaning.
Katie & I drank one margarita last night while we were missing you :(