I truly have a great passion for reading Octavio Paz. His poetry is not only lush and romantic but also filled with powerful images that leave a deep impression. This particular book features parallel pages with both the Spanish text and its English translation. Even though I don't have the ability to read Spanish proficiently, I still take great pleasure in being able to glance over to the other side and peruse the words in the original language after reading the translation. There are numerous references hidden within this work, referring to both relatively contemporary figures and historical ones. I really wish I had a poetry club or some similar group to read this with me, so that I could engage in discussions about the images with others. Without a doubt, I will actively seek out more of Paz's writing in the future.
They tore their clothes and became silent.
Because when naked bodies come together,
people flee from time and receive incurable wounds,
nothing can reach them,
they return to the open spring.
There is no me and you, tomorrow, yesterday, no name,
the truth of two people is one soul and body.
They tore their clothes in a fit of passion and then fell into a profound silence. The act of baring their bodies and coming together was a moment of intense vulnerability. In this state, they felt a sense of liberation from the constraints of time. People often flee from the raw emotions and potential pain that can come with such intimacy, but in this instance, they embraced it. Nothing could penetrate their shared space. They returned to the open spring, a place of purity and renewal. Here, there was no distinction between me and you, no concept of tomorrow or yesterday, and no need for names. The truth they discovered was that the essence of two people could merge into one soul and body, creating a connection that was both profound and indescribable.