A Song for Brazil

Equatorial Milky Way: a blessing or curse to be given on a clear night to any Brazilian

Hear the poem:

Equatorial Milky Way
A blessing or curse to be given on a clear night to any Brazilian (with thanks to Lô Borges).

Oh let me speak of what I know:
That lawless place of fires and lights.
Outer space I know, its sidereal show,
But you, my love, have fled from the sight.
Once more I shall march toward the glow
Of a ¡nubilous! ¡bright! equatorial night.
I leave in search of you, I go
To where the trails of my silence off.

I live in search of you:
Here is a clear tropical ache,
Here is that lawless place,
And now I must look down with astral farewells for my town.

I pour out a glass to you:
My starry salute to all in this space
Who have slipped the tellurian side of opaque,
For tonight is the night my father was born!

This poem grew into an expression of my love, frustration, and fear for Brazil, but began simply as a meditation on the lyrics of the song Equatorial by Lô Borges, posted below. If you’re an American who has heard it before, that is likely because of its inclusion in David Byrne’s collection Beleza Tropical.