Autobiography

Like a methodic castaway who counts
the waves leading to his death,
and counts them, and counts them again avoiding
any errors,
til the last one,
til the one the size of a child, which
kisses and covers his brow,
I have lived with the vague caution
of a paper horse in the bathroom,
knowing that I've never been mistaken
but in the things I cared the most.


Luis Rosales
Translated from spanish by Emmanuel Caballero.