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Geni Guimarães

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Geni Mariano Guimarães is a native of São Manoel, S.P.
Born on October 8th, 1947, she has published two volumes of poetry,
Terceiro Filho in 1979 and Da Flor ao Afeto in 1981.
She has also contributed poems to a number of anthologies including
Antologia Contemporânea da Poesia Negra Brasileira, A Razão da Chama, O Negro Escrito,
and the German magazine IKA.
Her book for children, A Cor de Ternura (The Color of tenderness)
stresses a positive identity for young Black children.
Geni Guimarães is a teacher.

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Leveza                         Lightness

Fechou os olhos;                       She closed her eyes;
Afastou a carne,                       Removed the flesh,
Separou os ossos,                      Separated the bones,
Apossou-se do pulmão                   Seized control of the lung
colocou sobre a mesa.                  Put it on the table.

Retornou:                              She returned:
Trouxe o coração,                      brought the heart,
O estômago,                            the stomach,
Um piano,                              a piano,
Um poema,                              a poem,

Umas tripas presas no braço do violão. Some guts imprisoned on the bridge of a guitar.

E quando                               And when
se contemplava                         she was contemplating herself
em vísceras,                           viscerally,
meiadas de ruídos musicais,            intertwined with musical notes,
sentiu fome.                           She felt hungry.
Se alimentou dum verso,                She fed herself with a verse,
Flutuou.                               She weavered.
  


Verso Nu                      Bare Verse 

Gosto sim,                             Yes, I do like,
desta histórica feita,                 this story made,
na folha do papel                      on a piece of paper
absorvendo tintas.                     absorbing ink.

Gosto e quero                          I like and I do want
o sútil da batalha                     the subtlety of the battle
entrincheirada e viva                  entrenched and alive
no corpo do poema necessário.          in the body of the necessary poem.

         Mas,                                         But,
mais gosto                             even more I like
do sigiloso verso                      the secret verse
emboçado em nossos corpos              sketched in our bodies
no imutável verbo dos sentidos.        in the immutable word of the senses.