The New World

By Nuria Castro

Katrina Naomi

del poemario, The Girl With the Cactus Handshake, (Templar Poetry, 2009)

www.katrinanaomi.co.uk

Versión en español de Rosanna Moreda

Ilustración de Nuria Castro

The New World                                                          El Nuevo Mundo  

I live in Ana’s caravan,                                               Vivo en el remolque de Ana,

strew it with poppies and moss.                              salpicado de amapolas y musgo.
She adds cornflowers, cow parsley,                        Ella agrega acianos, perejil salvaje,

liking colour, greens and blues.                               colores que gustan, verdes y azules.

I position the van towards the moon.                    Posiciono la furgo de cara a la luna.
 

She’ll sleep here                                                          Ella dormirá aquí
or in the woods.                                                          o en los bosques.
I can never be sure,                                                    Nunca puedo saberlo,
but if it’s a night when she’s playing                       pero si es una noche en que juega
with wolves, I undo the latch                                   con lobos, abro el pestillo

and sew. I cover her bed                                           y coso. Cubro su cama
in Kente cloth and matted grass,                             con paño Kente y hierba enmarañada,
find a pink Formica table                                           cojo una mesa rosa de fórmica
from a seaside café that’s selling up,                      de un café de la costa que liquida,
place it by the window,                                             la pongo al lado de la ventana,

so she can paint the stars                                          así ella puede pintar las estrellas

by numbers. I leave her                                             como se debe. Le dejo

offerings of a bamboo bar,                                       ofrendas  como un bar de bambú,
a solar-powered record player,                                un tocadiscos solar,

scratched jazz.                                                             scratched jazz.                             

I love to watch her dance,                                         Me encanta verla bailar,
how quetzals lift her step,                                         el modo en que los quetzals la elevan,

lizards pull her to the ground.                                   y las lagartas la devuelven a tierra.
I cook a dish of cacti,                                                  Cocino un plato de cacti,
leave it steaming at her feet.                                    lo dejo humeante a sus pies.