Barra Funda, S. Paulo



by carlos dantas barbosa





Barra Funda, S. Paulo.

There lived a young Brazilian poet

that helped create the country.



Upon Mario de Andrade´s large, brown shoulders,

forever young,

lie most of our thoughts,

ideas and feelings.

(Not to mention concepts and critical appraisals.)



Mario, our brown father

spawned generously his ideas

using messages in bottles

laid in the Post Office ocean.



(He could speak, read and write

in several languages,

but never travelled abroad

except for a trip to Colombian Amazonia,

a place that never heard

about Christopher Columbus.)



Was he a master?

Was he an inventor?

Maybe just an homme des lettres?



Ezra Pound wouldn´t like MA´s

commonsensical, inovative conservatism

and MA´s absolute kindness.



He would decree:

-- Macunaíma brought up himself

from Brazilian common place jelly.



A geléia geral brasileira

que o Jornal do Brazil anuncia!

-- Torquato Neto



("The Brazilian general jelly

that is advertised in Jornal do Brasil.")





(Copyright © 2002 -- 2012 Carlos Dantas Barbosa)