I
SHE was scared
by all these men dying at sea
— in this dangerous impetuous Galician sea.
So they had crossed the ocean,
fleeing the poverty and famish of their village,
— called Orro for it was close to the gold and God of Santiago.
And they found this land,
where, he, the fisherman, became a bus driver;
on this safe land where they ate
Empanada de carne instead of
Empanada de bacalao.
But many years later,
back in Galicia,
she was still so scared
by this very same sea.
II
SHE was scared
By all these men dying at sea
— In this dangerous impetuous Galician sea.
So they had crossed the ocean,
Fleeing the poverty and famish of their village,
— Called Orro for it was close to the gold and God of Santiago.
And they found this land,
Where, her husband, a fisherman, became a bus driver;
Where she rolled cigars,
On this safe land where they ate
Empanada de carne instead of
Empanada de bacalao.
Her son studied and taught chemistry at Montevideo University.
She was scared knowledge would burn his head.
He was scared police would arrest him
For Molotov cocktails he did not make.
He fled to the first country
That gave him a scholarship.
He became French.
But he was scared for life.
Non podería escapar do medo,
Il était devenu paranoïaque.
Back in Galicia,
She was still so scared
By this very same sea.
¡Hay que comer! became her daily refrain
As she could not forget the days of famish.
She died falling in her bath.
Her son didn’t die in the water,
He chose his death;
He chose not to eat anymore
And drown into beer.
Drown into fear
or escaping it at last?
Aurianne Or
