To Ernesto for his new journey

DE-MILITARIZED ZONE

My cigarette glows, and your bones snap
in the dark. Not another torture scene...
Like the men in the trenches, I don't smoke,
I don't want to give myself away to the enemy.
- But the tobacco is mixed with salpetre,
to keep it burning... I curse them quietly,
the nervous little cackles of flame in my lap.

It doesn't make sense. You know where I am -
on the chair, carefully holding an ashtray
in my other hand, and listening to you...
After our tired argument in your parked car,
we are relaxing from the ordeal of each other;
unwinding, in our different ways. - And you,
you're double-jointed and subject to backache.

I am familiar with your calisthenics,
and the order in which you perform them -
a series of stretches and Yoga positions.
I was told the fluid explodes in the cartilages
and turns to gas. Anyway, it restores you...
On good nights, I rub my hands together
and take away the static from your eyes.

Not tonight, of course... But even so,
I hear you undressing, in this small room
most of your things land on my feet, and you
get into bed. We weren't talking any more,
but then you ask me to come to bed as well,
and, thinking what a blessing it is to be allowed
to forget our differences like this, I comply.


Michael Hofmann

Last entrance: March something

Have I really been gone that long? Damn, it's fucking September. Anyway you must all understand that one cannot blog comfortably with sleepy eyes. Many things have happened in these troubled months and since I am here know looking through the glass as Alice but with a beer in my hand I cannot avoid the recount.

For many, college is finished, and the thought of growing up is knocking at their doors, some have already stood up and confront this, some others have still little but more time. Yet we all know that somehow good all days have gone by.

I crashed my nerves last semester like an old eighteen century socially pressed lady. I hate to admit it but I was just too too tired of everything, the city, the schools, the finals above all, the parties... and I went to my refugee for more time than I ever did in this passed four years that I have been living here. I just wanted to disappear, rest my head, my body, my eyes. And to be in the comfort of family, specially my aunt, worked like magic. I had an amazing month back home, just with her.

Then the comeback. The awfull comeback. Now I miss the parties and the friends whom I have not been able to see all together. Pitty. Clanmueganito seem to have finally reached a breaking point. One is leaving in a matter of days, others in a matter of months, and as I said before, some have already "grown up". Nontheless I believe this is a good sign. I do desire happiness for that one who leaves in days to a new and better life, a dream that cost her many time, many troubles, many many work and patience, we will miss her but we'll be happy to.

Now we have more work to do, to stay in touch, not to lose those lifetime friends we used to be. And built something else: new fridays, new saturdays, new tuesdays. At the end wasn't it that what the Prom was all about?