A Distant Planet
and there,
Beside the thundering waterfall of his heart,
I rubbed my eyes and thought, “I’m lost.”
............................... Rafael Campo
I said,
it's like lifting a cello
out of its case—
“but what do I know
of love's lonely offices”
I'm positive,
he said...
so I chanted
the sweaty shaman's
painted curse
I'd look
inside his throat
to see his misery,
he'd touch his genitals
and think of sin
Wow, this is powerful, Sergio. You've said such a lot in a few amazing lines.
I'll be back to digest it properly, as it deserves. Aids, not an easy subject.
For now, could you please tell me about the title and the quotation. Are you using A Distant Planet for your own poem as well? If you have time, tell me a little about Rafael Campo.
I hope some others drop by to comment. It's a shame FB has swallowed up members of poetry sites.
Cheers,
Sylvia
OK, Sergio, I've already looked up Rafael Campo and I'm very impressed by this great physician and poet.
I saw on Slate, which I follow, that he's recently won a prize for an incredible poem which I took time to read, now at 4 a.m.!
His writing focuses on themes that promote equality and justice for gay people, people of color and working-class people. But he appears to write a lot about death and dying. He gives out his poems to patients in the wards.
And what a curriculum! Tx, Sergio, for mentioning this marvellous man here at MM. We have a lot to learn. Do add some more of your own thoughts.
Cheers again,
Sylvia
I found a few of his poems in Poets.org and he immediately became one of my favorite writers. I will try to buy some of his books. This is from his site:
I have experienced people dying of AIDs, and I understand the desolate, sense of "forgotteness" these people have. I had a girlfriend die at age 36, "Tears" at Authspot.com. She was so beautiful, talented and young and was taken from us. What could she have said to herself, except "It's my fault!" I still think about her and miss her. One thing for sure, during the days right before her death, a sense of peace overcame her. She just went with the flow in the present moment. Beautiful communication - such a hard thing to describe, but you did it remarkably well. So sad, thank you, jeanne
Thank you Jeanne. Sorry for your loss.
Sergio
Hi Sergio
This is incredibly powerful and moving.
Thank you for posting the info about Rafael Campo. I love the way you have opened your poem with his quote.
I have read this a few times and see nothing I'd change.
Snow
thank you Snow, thank you.
Sergio
I wouldn't change anything either - you say so much with so little and I think that works really well. Such a difficult subject HIV and one most people prefer to avoid and/or ignore and yet sadly it is still so much a part of everyday life but the pot seems to have gone off the boil with it - the warnings and paranoi that walked side by side with it in the early days seem to have fallen into the background of late. Maybe people think we've beaten it - I don't know
Thank you Maureen. Living through the first ten years of the epidemic was horrifying. Today there is just too much silence about the disease.
Sergio
Thanks for all the info on Rafael Campo, Sergio. He's an amazing person.
I read 'Lost in the hospital'. It's superb, as is all his poetry.
I'm glad you posted a poem about Aids. It's true that it's not mentioned much nowadays, but on the other hand I think maybe people automatically take care of themselves, at least the majority. It's the youngsters who start their sex life so very young that are in most danger. In my country the schools give lessons on protection and other issues, such as pregnancy, to pupils aged about 11 or 12. It must do some good...
Once again, congrats on your poem, Sergio.
Sylvia
Thank you Sylvia. I am glad there is education in Argentina.
Sergio
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