We would play word chain PRETEND-ENDING to make long trips short PILLOW-LOWER to brighten dull evenings OPEN-PENCIL the previous syllable must begin the new word DELIGHT-LIGHTNING it’s quite simple BEFORE-FOREST and I find a shortcut WATER-TERRAIN a vestige of eternity URGENT-GENTLE repeating to yourself MAMA-MAMA an echoing syllable MAMA-MAMA forever returning MAMA-MAMA
by Pablo Texón
Translated by Will Howard
Unpublished. Printed by permission of author and translator.
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Pablo Texón is a poet and philologist. His poetry collections include Toles siendes, Singuralidá, L’alma robada, Media vida, Allumamientu, and Cantar de ti mesma. The latter two were awarded the Premiu Acebal for Asturian poetry. He’s also published two books of prose, Catedral and Proust n’el Monte Alende.
Will Howard’s essays, poems, and translations have appeared in a range of publications. A 2021–2022 Fulbright Fellow in Spain, he’s currently a graduate student in literary translation at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.