THE LOOK
Alfonsina Storni (Languidez, 1920)

Tomorrow, under the weight of the years,
the good people will see me pass by,
but under the dark cloth and the porridge skin
something of the old fire will surface.

And I'll hear them say: "Who is that
going by?" And some voice will answer:
"Back in her better days,
she made verses. A long time ago."

And I will have my head of white hair,
my eyes clear, and in my mouth a
great peacefulness, and my smile,
hearing that, will not go away.

I'll continue slowly along my way,
my eyes will look into theirs,
my look will go very deep,
and someone, in the crowd, will understand.

I AM GOING TO SLEEP
Alfonsina Storni

Teeth of flowers, cap of dew,
hands of grasses, you, my fine wet nurse,
have ready for me the earthy sheets
and the eiderdown of weeded mosses.

I am going to sleep, my wet nurse, lay me down.
Put a lamp at my pillow;
a constellation; whichever one you like;
they are all good; lower it a little.

Leave me by myself: you hear the waves crashing...
a celestial foot rocks your cradle from above
and a bird traces circles around you
so that you may forget...Thank you. Ah, one thing:
if he calls on the telephone again
tell him not to insist, that I have gone out...

Translations © 2016 by Donald C. Traxler

This was the last poem that Alfonsina wrote,
before she threw herself into the Atlantic
from a jetty on Playa La Perla,
at Mar del Plata, Argentina,
on October 25, 1938.

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