12/28/08 Art for the Artless

We all can't be Silvio,
saying the most painful things
beautifully,
carrying our hearts
inside our guitars,
birds in our mouths.
I don't sing love songs
to Cuba,
usually.

But that doesn't mean
we shouldn't try to live
beautifully,
to transform the things we find
into treasures
and then keep them
in our pockets.
Have dreams
that make us weep.

That is my wish for us,
that we can sing
beautifully,
that we can weep
and find words and
treasures and birds
and keep them in our pockets.
That we sing love songs
to Cuba.
And each other.


Vivamos de corrido sin hacer poesia,
aprendamos palabras de la vida.

Dime lo que te pasa,
dejame levantarte,
dejame darte un beso y curarte.

-Silvio Rodriguez