17 Next to the fire,the hot mate already spills out. Grandmother grinds leaves of amba'y and mallow, of guava and eucalyptus, making them perfume the air, move the stubborn cough, the illness. Next the fire the manioc boils, the dried meat, the stew. The sweat of the grandmother has now started to dry. Grandmother's skin burns, crackles, calcifies, then turns to ash ever so slowly... 19 Next to the firesadness begins to curl up When the night closes that poor people seem to search for something and they weep for what has already gone. Through the patio they seem to walk and anxiously await the return of that which we are missing now, which we had long ago when warming ourselves next to the fire. Over there, in the old farm, we can hear, far away, the one who weeps, afflicted, who searches and goes searching for what was left behind with the cold of the wind. And here, next to the fire, this poor folk meet, come together and dry their tears with the flames of the hearth. 20 Homefires which have formed themselves with love. The charred wood is mother to that love, and to the homefires themselves. 21 Fire of the hearth, homefires ... Breath of the tongue, eyes of the tongue, flight of the tongue. Fire of the hearth, fire of the tongue. Vessel of the sun, of flowers, of stars. 22 Charred stick, wake up, come back alive, so that your fire begins to burn, to dance. Charred stick, awaken, startle, scatter, so that you lose the ash, and that your fire lives. 23 Charred stick, wake up and awaken the bed of ash, the hearth fire. He who had ignited the stirring voice of my old father. Charred stick, wake up and rise up with the fire, loosen up and laugh, fly up and uncover the embers of joy. We wish for you to rekindle the homefires again; rekindle the fire, rekindle the tongue. 24 Long ritual of warming up next to the fire... that went pushing away slowly the cold and the night. That went waking me up slowly. Slow warming up that from afar light up in the instruction of forgetfulness. Ritual of fire of other times, bed of memories, wake up and scare off forgetfulness. |