A
A lady in the crowd
Louie And Maria.
Louie And Maria.
Louie,
Young and naive
Recruited to the U.S. military
‘To a dark strange land
away in North korea
Far from his wife his one and only
Maria,
A quien
Llamaba “Mi vida.”
A quien escribió
una carta
por si su vida perdia
December, 1950
Dear darling,
These surroundings are misery
Agony and adversity
Surround Korea’s atmosphere
Many have succumbed in battle
Insanity’s overwhelming
Home,
‘A distant flashback
“All I hope
is to see your beautiful smile
once more.”
Mas la carta
Nunca fue leida,
el soldado
nunca la enviaria.
Su querida maria
lo abria olvidado
pero no fue asi,
con esperanza seguía
Another lonesome night
Lies a worn out paintbrush
Stroking across an empty canvas
Creating a masterpiece
Relentlessly using creativity
Searching for hope within her painting
Pursuing wonder
“Where might he be?”
“He’ll come back one day,”
She must continue believing.
“Pero cuando?”
Los meses pasaban
y tan solo
se escuchaba
su llanto.
Louie tan solo
escuchaba
la temible armonia
de aquella
interminable guerra,
por la cual no
conocía la causa de tan devastante
tragedia.
?Pero que podria recordar, al pisar aquella mina?
Su vida estaba perdida,
sin ni siquiera recordar
a su querida Maria.
With a strong sense of Amnesia,
He’s forgotten his name.
Completely suffering a total loss of memory
Only being taught how to fire a gun
Precisely pointing a trigger towards the enemy.
“But who the hell is Maria?’
She seems familiar.
“I’ve heard her name before
I just don’t know from where.”
He trains in the rain
shooting, relentlessly
Feeling frustration
Louie continues, tossing grenades.
Intentando matar estres,
las explosiones eran una
dulce melodia.
Recordo pisar a quella mina,
por fin recordaba quién era Maria..
Cada gota de agua
era una lagrima caida.
?Por que cambiar una pintura de dia,
por una devastante sinfonía?
Pero ya no importa,
lo único en lo que
podia pensar
era en su amada
Maria
Despite recovering his memory,
Wasn’t enough to pursue happiness
“When I’m fighting in a war I don’t understand.”
The U.S Government meets no amends
Seasons have changed
Two years have perished
Despite his loving Maria
He can’t help thinking
Whether she has moved on
Has she been unloyal?
His back is growing weary
His attitude takes a turning point
Louie grows into a despairing human being.
Mas no todo era
como el creia.
Ella lloraba en sus pinturas,
a varios hombres ya habia rechazado.
Como olvidar al hombre
que mas habia amado
sin ni siquiera saber
lo que la habia pasado?
Pintaba y pintaba
dia tras dia
para nunca olvidar
lo que más le importaba en la vida.
Pero que pintaba?
Tal vez la lluvia que de sus ojos caída?
el bosque que su querido esposo vestia?
Tan solo pensaba en el tiempo
las cosas bellas que pudieron a ver forjado.
Todo eso lo guardaba en un lienzo,
un lienzo que jamás sería olvidado.
1953,
A final year of collapse
North Korea
left defeated
There’s no longer a mourn for
More American’s to be recruited
In between,
lies a few survivors
One is lucky Louie
His dreams
of holding his beloved Maria
we’re thought of as impossible.
‘He’d be dead,
‘Damned and forsaken!
Yet the great storm of war has passed
Like a delightful dream he finds himself
In the arms of his soulmate.
Louie y Maria,
los dos esperaban
una dulce sinfonía.
Los traumas permanecian,
mas con el amor
que nunca negaron
a este mundo traerian vida.
Una hermosa criatura de
ojos azules y piel Morena,
el arte más hermosa a quien llamarían
Sofia.
Authors Note a story behind: Writing, "Louie And Maria." Was an extremely sentimental experience. I give credit to my boyfriend, Sammy Villasenor, for writing the Spanish stanzas.
The moment our drama club advisor, Mr. Alvarado, asked us to write poetry merging two languages. I was almost certain that it was going to be a recipe of pure chaos. I had never experienced writing with anyone. Or worse writing in two tongues. I felt flabbergasted when we finished this in a matter of short hours. Our writing styles combined easily. It was a fun pleasurable experience to write with my babe.
~Yours Truly,