Solitude

"I have such a crowded solitude

so full of nostalgia

and faces of you

of goodbyes from long ago

and welcomed kisses

of first changes

and last carts.

I have such a crowded solitude

that I can organize it

like I would a parade

by colours

by sizes

and promises

by age

by touch and by flavor.

Without a surplus tremor

I embrace your absences

which assist and help me

with my face of you.

I am full of shadows

of nights and desires

of laughter and

of some curse

My guests come visit

they visit me like dreams

with their new resentments

their lack of candor

I hide a broom

behind the door

because I want to be alone

with my face of you.

But my face of you

looks the other way

with its loving eyes

that don't love anymore

like groceries

looking for their hunger

they look and look and

extinguish my journey.

The walls go away

only the night is left

the melancholy goes

there is nothing left.

Now my face of you

closes its yes

and it is such a desolated

solitude".

"Face of you", by Mario Benedetti

First of all, I must apologize for the translation, I know it is not one of my best, but the way the poem is written makes it very hard to translate to English (it really says "face of you", instead of "your face" or something else). This is one of my favorite poems. I finished the painting and later realized (as it often happens to me for some reason) what it was about. Also, Benedetti died on May 17th, 2009, so I think this is my way of remembering him...