Before antiquity arrived
the birds that died
turned into carnelian and tourmaline
John claimed in the Book of Revelation that the face of
god was made of jasper and carnelian
birds probably made one of their best graveyards in
that face
All mountains have been built out of birds' ancestors
From a yellow, blue and green bird
who dies when put in a cage and sings in beautiful fury
the mountain of Caracas was born creating ripples of
water and branches
the Ávila of stones and roots, spit with Pleiades
is our most concrete mountain
I wish I could sweep its pathways with a broom of
dreams
clean them up of all miseries
It is so big it could only fit into the universe once
when the heavens dilated
so that mangos could bloom
hummingbirds in the Ávila seem as if they were invented
by Borges:
they fly backwards because they care more about the
beginning than the end
the Ávila is huge but it is not so hard to carry in a
bag
it is completely portable when carried as a feeling
especially if you have looked at its mermaid-like
curves,
its crests resembling a resting animal
Or if you have ever heard the waters talk in Quebrada
Quintero
about how to go down to the Caribbean Sea without
having to ask for
directions in the valley
In the afternoon the mountain opens its eye made of sun
An eye that falls asleep on the voracious head of dry
trees
at night it crouches with its breath of burning plants
ready to jump again on the fearful valley with its
rabbit heart
this is the mountain that feeds on looks
that on the beach side is the Ávila of Reverón
deranged by light
and on the Caracas side is the Ávila of Cabré
borrowing the iridescence of the sparkling hummingbird
and all Pleiades sneeze with love when molasses grass
stirs,
the delicious herb
and at the top and the bottom it is the Ávila of
everyone and no one
a mountain that is like the Virgin of Coromoto and the
Virgin of the Valley
like La Chinita and the Divina Pastora
because you do not have to know its pathways
to believe it represents our customs
The mountain was a bedroom for clouds a million years
ago
and it still is.
The mountain was there making guacharacas
before anyone even thought of building the wall
that we would call town;
this ancient air is what comforts me.
The Ávila is a bird with apple mint in its wings,
it is the pain of fires kept within a case made of
roots.
The Ávila is like saying amen when you pray for
Caracas.
José Pulido
Translation: Luciana Valente
