BIO
Ivonne Gordon was born in Quito, Ecuador. She is a poet, literary critic, and literary translator. She has a Ph.D from the University of Callifornia, Irvine in Latin American Literature. She is a Professor of Latin American Literature at the University of Redlands. She has published five books and has two more completed. The most recent one, Meditar de sirenas (Sweden, 2013, Chile 2014) this book was launched in Medellín, Colombia. A second edition was published in Chile (June, 2014) Other books include, Barro blasfemo (Spain, 2010); Manzanilla del insomnio (Ecuador, 2003), received an award in ecuador, the Jorge Carrera Andrade award, Colibríes en el exilio (Ecuador, 1997), this book received the distinction of being finalist in the International Extraordinary Award of Casa de las Américas. Her work has been included in several Poetry Anthologies published in the United States, Latin America, and Europe, also published in Crab Orchard Review; Rattapalax; The Drunkenboat (Featured Poet); Letras del Ecuador; Poetas sin sofá; Unomas Uno, and many more. Her work has been translated to English, Polish, and Flemish.
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BIO
Cindy Rinne creates art and writes in San Bernardino, CA. She is the author of spider with wings (Jamii Publishing), Quiet Lantern is forthcoming (Turning Point), and she co-authored Speaking Through Sediment with Michael Cooper (ELJ Publications). Her poem, “Mapping” was nominated for the Liakoura Award by Pirene’s Fountain. She is a translator. Cindy is an Editor for “Tin Cannon” by PoetrIE and for the “Sand Canyon Review,” Crafton Hills College. Her poetry appeared or is forthcoming in Spectrum: An Anthology of Southern California Poets, Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing, Naugatuck River Review, Zoomoozophone, Indiana Voice Journal, Muddy River Poetry Review, Eternal Haunted Summer, Cactus Heart Press, and others. www.fiberverse.com
Verbo
Amar es conjugar un verbo despierto.
Amar es ver madurez en la luna.
La dulzura de una noche de asombro.
La libertad de las manos que se alocan por acariciar
un suspiro. Amar es conjugarme en ti, conjugarte,
conjugarnos en la bestialidad de un torbellino.
Nos conjugamos salvajemente en todos los tiempos.
Verb
To love is conjugating a dawning verb.
To love is romancing the ripeness in the moon.
The sweetness contained in one night of awe.
The liberty of hands desiring the lunacy to caress
a gasp. To love is to conjugate myself in you, to conjugate
you, to conjugate each other in the bestiality of a frenzied wind.
We conjugate each other savagely in all tenses.
Olor a luna
Mi niñez tiene un olor a luna.
Huele el lenguaje a sílabas niñas,
y a consonantes adolescentes.
El cemento húmedo, la madera crujiente,
los eucaliptos tiernos son todos olores
de la canela y de la naranjilla.
El arupo blanco como escultura
se yergue en la esquina del jardín.
Tanta paciencia bajo tierra, el arupo espera,
echa raíces hasta qué un día florece
para dar testimonio de su estoicismo
de su sol y de su tiempo.
El arupo es el signo del amor
florece en la catálisis del aire.
Las raíces andan sueltas y onduladas.
Mi niñez tiene olor a edenes y a juegos infantiles.
La adolescencia es el tacto de lugares que nunca se fueron.
Todo está allí, excepto el presente.
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Scent of the Moon
My childhood scent is like the moon.
Language has scent like childhood syllables
and adolescent consonants.
The wet cement, the wood crackles
of young eucalyptus, they all have the fragrance
of cinnamon and naranjilla.
The white arupo tree stands like a sculpture
in the corner of the garden.
The arupo has patience underground.
It slowly spreads its roots until one day it flowers
and exposes it fruits of endurance
and the sun of time.
The arupo is a symbol of love.
It blooms in the movement of the wind.
The roots freely roam.
My childhood has the scent of Eden and of childish games.
Adolescence is touching places that never left.
Everything is still there, except the present.
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