Writings

by Juan Gelman (Argentina)
translated by Katherine M. Hedeen and Victor Rodriguez Núñez

the home of the foreman of the wolfram mine
the mouth of the wolfram mine
the stream to wash the wolfram and a few ranches
that is all that is La Carolina

San Luis is small and La Carolina is in San Luis
La Carolina is small
thirty miners extract the wolfram
with their carbide lamps they write messages on the tunnel walls

above the earth, can you read what’s written below the earth?
can you read the messages from La Carolina?
“careful not to extract any more mineral until they’ve braced it”
says one
“tomorrow keep going down this tunnel jos ”

but up here, can you read?
is there someone reading the messages the miners write down
there?
can you really read those messages?
“Perón is our only hope” says one

San Luis is small and La Carolina is in San Luis
La Carolina is small
thirty miners extract the wolfram
does anyone read them? do they read them above the earth?

they write even though nobody reads them
write on the walls of the mine
write with their carbide lamps
write beneath the deep night