Undines and Rednecks
En la región oculta de las ninfas
El sesgo rayo a penetrar alcanza
Y alumbra al pie de despeñadas linfas
De las ondinas la nocturna danza.
—José Asunción Silva, “Las Ondinas”
Within the realm where nymphs enthrall,
a slanted ray illumines scenes
below a limpid waterfall:
the nightly dance of fair undines.
And three’ll get you two, some guys
are readying a net to drop
smack dab on the ballet, their eyes
a visual barbaric yawp.
If Walt were there, I wager he’d
disguise himself as manna-grass
around the pool. As for the greed
of idiots, it may surpass
what elemental fumblers do
when beauty stares them in the face.
Or not. Lest any misconstrue
my nugget: screw the human race.
—Mark Blaeuer, Hot Springs, AR
