passing by

This piece has been mellowing for some time. It was a bright morning in New York. The spring air filled the streets with pollen and the fragrance of new blossoms. After a 5K run with Allison, we met with Jen, her boyfriend and another one of her friends to have some coffee at the Hungarian pastry shop, a place I had intended to visit for a while. The days prior to that, I had felt as though I was being relieved from a choking sensation of fear for what was coming. I had spent long hours staring at my computer hyperventilating for not being able to produce coherent lines for my thesis. I read this and it helped. After many years, I had gone back to take refuge in literature but it started with music. Jim Morrison’s American prayer became my hymn for a couple of weeks. I had been feeling hopeless. Yet, out of serendipitous events I was visiting some places that were becoming havens- may be as a result of what felt as my imminent departure from the life I had been building in New ...

Antes anduve por la vida, en medio  de un amor doloroso: antes retuve  una pequeña página de cuarzo clavándome los ojos en la vida.  Compré bondad, estuve en el mercado  de la codicia, respiré las aguas  más sordas de la envidia, la inhumana hostilidad de máscaras y seres.  Viví un mundo de ciénaga marina  en que la flor de pronto, la azucena  me devoraba en su temblor de espuma,  y donde puse el pie resbaló mi alma  hacia las dentaduras del abismo.  Así nació mi poesía, apenas  rescatada de ortigas, empuñada  sobre la soledad como un castigo,  o apartó en el jardín de la impudicia  su más secreta flor hasta enterrarla. Aislado así como el agua sombría  que vive en sus profundos corredores, corrí de mano en mano, al aislamiento  de cada ser, al odio cuotidiano,  Supe que así vivían, escondiendo  la mitad de los seres, como peces  del más extraño mar, y en las fangosas inmensidades encontr...

Han pasado demasiados infinitos desde la última vez que escribí aquí. Me llené de familia en Noviembre. El fortalecer los lazos familiares es la liberación de un respiro de alivio contenido en la garganta desde cuando no existía la memoria. También hubieron nuevas historias con nuevas fechas de caducidad, otras perennes, inmortales, nuevas dudas, nuevas certezas. Sé que he visto futuros menos inciertos pero ahora es cuando levanté las alas y con pico rapaz me puse a pescar. Ínfimamente la luna y el sol se encontraron en Enero, yo hice un viaje sideral. Esto no sin antes haber cruzado hemisferios por una fuerza mayor a mí y a toda razón para encontrarme con una de mis partes. Todo lo determinista por mi lado se acaba, lo más iluso que hace el humano es pensar que nada va a cambiar. Estuve en bosques mágicos donde los macrolobios dormían con la noche. Tomé el viaje a atlantis sola y me empapé de nueva poesía, mis ojos no miran igual. Noches estrelladas me acercaron a mi amigo viento p...

Era un Jueves por la noche y yo apenas había adquirido mi guitarra. Estaba en el subway, bailando al ritmo de la salsa de Willie Colón que provenía de mis audífonos cuando este chico (por no decir hombre) se me acercó. Eres artista?-Me preguntó y me dijo algunos términos -completamente nuevos para mí- acerca de mi guitarra. Él estaba en camino a un show, tenía un estuche (de la misma marca de mi nueva guitarra, la que me dio Shashwat y yo no sabía que era profesional) que parecía contener un saxo pero no sabría decir si era eso. Me recomendó que vaya a este bar de jazz, del cual ya había escuchado por otros medios. Se pasó de su parada y conversamos acerca de música. Dos semanas después fui a perderme en la cadencia errática de jazz en Smalls. Entre estas dos semanas; sin embargo, debatí las preguntas epistemológicas y dialécticas más difíciles en mis estudios y mi enfoque en energía renovable. Fui a una conferencia acerca del efecto de consumo de energía en la salud- básicamente la...

Almost a month since I came back from Ghana has passed. I am losing the sense that I WAS there. But, it is inevitable to be charmed by New York’s bustle and hustle and this is why I have not written about my life here. But I shall start. First and foremost, I found a home with my new roommate Dani who is no less than amazing. She actually has a blog too. I moved to the financial district, which is almost paradoxical to my indie self but I had a good feeling about the prospect of living here and I have very much enjoyed it so far. I lie to myself saying that I (sort of) have a view of the Brooklyn Bridge from my (tiny) balcony ;) The seaport was hit very hard during Sandy but it has received a lot of attention and remediation efforts have been very successful here. (There is still a lot of work to get done in the Rockaways and Staten Island) Before moving here though I was apartment hopping. I am so grateful for Alex and Rahma who received me in their pla...

My farewells always include rain. It was Friday morning and I saw the sunrise. I opened my backpack and found the lighter Zoran had given me the night before –Stay you- It said. I smiled. My departure was imminent. It was drizzling and the streets were as empty as I had never seen them in Kumasi. Not even the waakye stands were ready to serve breakfast (Waakye is a traditional dish made with rice, beans and a spicy stew, simply delicious). I said proper good byes to my housemates and took my terribly large luggage once Ray arrived. The adventure was about to begin. Raymond and Agyemang, two friends and coworkers came with me to the Volta region. I had been told not to leave Ghana without visiting it. We took a long tro-tro ride into Peki. Ray and Agyemang had been telling me that they had never been in the Volta region or anywhere outside of Ghana. They were seeing mountains for the first time. Although only 1000m high, the mountains were embracing me again, just as they do when...