The visit, 1987 (fragment)

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tartaruga-de-couro tracajá tartaruga-do-mar                           [tartarugada jururá

it is said turtles are the oldest living group of                         [reptiles

they existed at the time of the earliest dinosaurs

they can pull their heads into their shell for                           [protection

turtles are found in tropical regions

their eggs are eaten in many parts of the world

from their shell combs and handbags are made

tartaruga-de-pente tartaruga-do-mar tracajá                       [tartaruga-lira jururá

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in the year of grace of 1986

nurtured by colors lines textures

without knowing the density of her feathers

she carries her shell through floods and storms

paintings roads she detects 

the hardness of her skeleton

and encounters the corners of mystery

the pounding of the hammer

never reached her home 

built of separation wood

 

in the year of grace of 1987

she visualizes silence.

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                                                     Josely Carvalho