ALL LIVES

Lives inside me
an old mulatto woman
made by an evil eye,
crouched by the embers,
looking to the fire.
She Blesses with prostration
Puts a spell…
Ogum. Orixá.
Macumba, terreiro.
Ogã, pai-de-santo…

Lives inside me
the laundress from the Red River,
Her water and soap
nice smell.
Cloth pad.
Bundle of clothes,
Anil stone.
Her green crown from São Caetano.

Lives inside me
The cooker woman.
Spice and onions.
Well done delicacy.
Clay pot.
Firewood stucco.
Old kitchen
all in black.
With locks of Picumã.
Sharp stone.
Coco pot.
Threading garlic-salt.

Lives inside me
The popular woman.
quite a proletarian…
quite a blabber,
going too far, with no prejudices,
with a roughneck,
with slippers,
and with children.

Lives inside me
Bumpkin woman
- land graft,
a bit sullen.
Hard worker
Waking up early.
Illiterate.
With her feet on the ground.
Giving births
Quite a raiser
Her twelve children
Her twenty grandchildren.

Lives inside me
A woman in life.
My little sister…
So not ready,
So murmured…
Pretending happiness on her sad fate.

All the lives inside me:
In my life –

The mere life from the obscure ones.