For Yakov

For my friend L.G. Corey, aka Yakov Lieb HaKohain,
who has left the world a lonelier place.

You were king of the mountain,
you old fart,
and so you should have been:
poet, teacher of Kabbalah,
and friend.
We had our difficult moments,
but still,
I looked up to you,
and learned from you.
I would happily fight with you now,
if I only could.
Shalom, Yakov,
may your portion be good.

Gymniad XXXVI - Fewer Words (with translations)

We need fewer words
when the body is free to speak.

[portunhol surenho]

Precisamos de menos palavras
quando o corpo é livre para falar.


[español]

Necesitamos menos palabras
cuando el cuerpo es libre para hablar.

Gymniad XXXV - Relaxed and natural (with translations)

Relaxed and natural,
we are open to life.

[portunhol surenho]

Relaxados y naturales,
estamo aberto a la vida.


[español]

Relajados y naturales,
estamos abiertos a la vida.

Our Real Body (with translations)

Our real body is
the universe,
and these are only
games that we play.

Nagna says: it is the play
of the Goddess.

--Nagna Devidas (Donald Traxler)

[portunhol surenho]

Nosso corpo real é
o universo,
y estos son solo
jogos que jogamo.

Nagna diz: é o jogo
da Deusa.


[español]

Nuestro cuerpo real es
el universo,
y estos son solo
juegos que jugamos

Nagna dice: es el juego
de la diosa.


[Hindi]

हमारा वास्तविक शरीर है
ब्रह्माण्ड,
और ये केवल हैं
हम खेलते हैं कि खेल

नग्न कहते हैं: यह लीला है
देवी की

Sylvain et Claude

Sylvain was a young man
in 1934 Paris.

Adonai Eloheinu

His father gone twelve years,
he was close to his mother,
Karola.
He loved her religion,
and used

YHVH

its symbols
as magical talismans
for protection.
There were Jewish
stars and names of
God
on every page
of the special book
in which he wrote
his dreams,
his fantasies,
and his love
for Claude.

Elohim Ts'vaoth

Sylvain wrote,
claiming protection.
They were both
piano students,
and in Sylvain's words,
Claude was
a virtuoso.
History

YHVH

knows nothing
of  Claude now.

Adonai

Paranoia.
Paranoia.
History knows nothing
of Sylvain either,
but Karola,
his artist mother,
fled to Perpignan,
and survived.

YHVH

Sylvain wrote
Claude's name
on every page,
and coupled it
with his.
In shaky Hebrew
printing, he wrote
his talismans
to protect them both.
But by the end of the book,
Claude's name
was joined to another.

I don't know
if Sylvain survived
the Nazis,
but he could not
survive love.

Adonai, Adonai, Adonai

Sylvain's mother
had his special book
rebound in red
half-leather,
with gilded
page tops,
and somehow,
it came to me.

Adonai Eloheinu

Karola is gone now,
as are Sylvain and Claude.

The world forgot,
but I cannot.

May this poem serve
for their Kaddish.

Amen.

Gymniad XXXIV - Our Body (with translations)

Our body is the product
of genetics, diet,
and exercise.
Of these,
we can only control
the last two.
Through the years,
our body is shaped
by its own activity.
Life is what it is,
and there is nothing
to be ashamed of.
Tolerance and
body-acceptance
are the great
lessons.

In the end,
it's all a question
of light.

[portunhol surenho]

Nosso corpo é o produto
de genética, dieta,
y exercício.
Destes,
só podemos controlá
os últimos dois.
Ao longo dos anos,
nosso corpo é moldado
por sua própria atividade.
A vida é o que é,
y non hay nada
de que tené vergonha.
Tolerancia y
aceptasón do corpo
son as grandes
lisones.

No final,
tudo é uma questión
de luz.


[español]

Nuestro cuerpo es el producto
de genética, dieta,
y ejercicio.
De estos,
solo podemos controlar
Los últimos dos.
A través de los años,
nuestro cuerpo se forma
por su propia actividad.
La vida es lo que es,
y no hay nada
de que tener verguenza.
Tolerancia y
aceptación del cuerpo
son las grandes
lecciones.

Al final,
todo es una cuestión
de luz.

Gymniad XXXIII - The Man Peering Out (with translations)

The man peering out
of the mirror
is what I've become:
older,
serious as ever,
stubborn seeker
of a better
way.

[portunhol surenho]

O homem espiando
do espesho
é o que eu me tornei:
Mais vesho,
sério como sempre,
buscador obstinado
de um meshor
caminho.


[español]

El hombre mirando
hacia afuera del espejo
es lo en que me he convertido:
mayor de edad,
serio como siempre,
buscador obstinado
de un mejor
camino.