Lorca Lives

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 - 1936)
Published in Skipping Stones, 2005 Edition


Copyright © 2000, 2005
Jason Lester Atkins
985 Fleet Drive, #347
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
All Rights Reserved.



Street Singers Federico is waiting among us,
dancing with Dionysus on this stage of spirits:
cautiously circling Angles, like a small boy in school,
shyly seeking his mystery: searching for his "Duende":
singing songs of compassion, written in his heart:
surviving man's ineluctably divided nature:
surviving the might stereotype: eraser of individuality:
waiting to join his "Salvadorcito":
waiting with a love, daring not to call its name.

A poet of blood, refusing to age:
making his memory lessons in verse,
opposing Fascism with intelligent songs:
murdered by Falangist, as another un-worthy life:
murdered in August sunrise, nineteen thirty six,
singing his songs in public squares:
singing still, Canté Jondos in the oracular winds
whistling past his un-marked grave:
singing deep songs heard by gypsies.

Ancient souls whirling briefly by,
answering Federico's singing search:
"Our "Duende" is created within
by chosen meteors of thought,
blazing spectacularly down through brain cells:
burning new syntactical connections
to ancient tribal memories,
mistaken as bright new epiphanies
on our stumbling journey to the light."



Some Information About the Above Poem

Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 - 1936)

Andalusian: Son of Southern Spain: Passionate Son of Light: Beautiful dark eyed child: Loved by family: Traveling restlessly: Mama sending him money: Good schooling: Learning quickly: Leaving classes early: Attending military academy as cadet: Falling in love for life with classmate: Salvador Dali:

Longing to be a painter: Finding meaning as poet: playwright: Taking on the plight of ordinary people: Fusing Spanish spirit with his heart's blood: Pairing poetry and religion as pre-historic twins: Attracting audiences to his plays: Dancing in the street with Gypsies: Seeking every refuge for his muse: Singing songs in verse:

Heard by Politicians: Murdered by Phalangist Group at August daybreak: Buried with other un-worth lives in un-marked graves: An Immortal Ghost: Singing still on Andalusian streets: Seeking his lost "Duende."



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