July 7: Mathematical Inspiration, Martin Espada, "The Republic of Poetry"

It is getting late, and my brain is starting to shut down.  I have used up my quota of inspiration already this evening.

I'm going to leave the inspiration to Martin Espada, the Poet of the Week.  The later it gets, the further away from any kind of inspiration I get.  It's almost mathematical.  I(nspiration) = Time X Distance X Darkness.  Something like that.

Saint Marty isn't in any mood for algebra tonight.

The Republic of Poetry

by:  Martin Espada

For Chile

In the republic of poetry,
a train full of poets
rolls south in the rain
as plum trees rock
and horses kick the air,
and village bands
parade down the aisle
with trumpets, with bowler hats,
followed by the president
of the republic,
shaking every hand.

In the republic of poetry,
monks print verses about the night
on boxes of monastery chocolate,
kitchens in restaurants
use odes for recipes
from eel to artichoke,
and poets eat for free.

In the republic of poetry,
poets read to the baboons
at the zoo, and all the primates,
poets and baboons alike, scream for joy.

In the republic of poetry,
poets rent a helicopter
to bombard the national palace
with poems on bookmarks,
and everyone in the courtyard
rushes to grab a poem
fluttering from the sky,
blinded by weeping.

In the republic of poetry,
the guard at the airport
will not allow you to leave the country
until you declaim a poem for her
and she says Ah! Beautiful.