Craro de Lua

A navy blue

nainsook patchwork quilt

ready for love.

The girl lolls

across the bed.

The knife sharpened against stone

rests on the kitchen rack

and snapper in the samburá

anticipates its slicing.

As her eyes flutter

concentrating on brave

ants, she waits

for the one who’ll steal

her loosened strands

smelling of aloe.

Sweet smoke in the house

wind whistling through plaster

waves that break

only to form anew.

Then he arrives with no money

with a gypsy’s watch

and gold teeth.

It is craro de lua.

And the fishermen dock

on navy blue

nainsook patchwork quilts

ready for love.

Translated by Rachel Morgenstern-Clarren

“Craro de Lua” was published in Two Lines: World Writing in Translation: Passageways, Issue 20.

You can read and listen to the poem in the original Portuguese here.