8/3/2019 Walcott_Derek_-_La_Goleta_el_Vuelo

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The Schooner FlightLa Goleta el Vuelo

Derek Walcott

The Schooner FlightLa Goleta el Vuelo

8/3/2019 Walcott_Derek_-_La_Goleta_el_Vuelo

2/22

The Schooner Flight

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\ La goleta El Vuelo

1 ADIO S, CARENAGBIn dle August, while the sea soft,and leaves ofbrown islands stick to the rimof th is Caribbean, 1 blow ou t the lig htby the dreamless face ofMaria Concepcionto ship as a seaman the schooner Flight .Out in the yard turning gray in the dawn,I stood like a stone and nothing else movebut the cold sea rippling like gaJvanizeand the nail holes of stars in the sky roof,till a wind start to interfere with the trees.1 pass me dry neighbor sweeping she yardas I went downhill, and l -n ea rly said:"Sweep soft, you witch, 'cause she don 't sleep hard,"but tbe bitch look tbrough me like 1 was dead.A route tax i pull up, park-lights sti ll on.The driver size up my bags with a grin:"Th is time, Sbabine, like you really gone!"I ain't answer the ass, I simply pile intbe back seat and watch the sky burnabove Laventille pink as the gownin which tbe woman 1 left. W3J : _d p p n in ...

In idle August, while the sea soft,and leaves ofb ro wn is lands stick to the rimof this Caribbean, 1 blow ou t the Iightby the dreamless face ofMaria Concepcionto ship as a seaman the schooner Flight.__ . ti n the rd turni

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1 ADIS, CARENAJEEn el ocioso agosto , cuando el mar se apaciguay hojas de islas more nas se adhie ren a la orillade este Caribe, apago la velajunto al rostro sin sueos de Maria Concepcinpara engancharme como m arino en la goleta El Vuelo.En el patio agris ado por el alba,perm anec como una piedra y nada ms se movasalvo un m ar glacial que ondeaba galvanizadoy las claveras de las estrellas en la bveda celeste,hasta que un viento comenz a inmiscuirse con los rboles.Pas jun to a mi hosca vecina que barra el patiocuando bajaba la colina, y entonces casi dije:"Barra pasito , bruja, porque ella tiene el su eo ligero",pero la perra m ir a travs de mi como si estuviera muerto .Un taxi se detuvo, las luces de parqueo encendidas.El chofer levant mi equipaje con una sonrisa sarcstica:"Esta vez, Shabin e, como que te vas de verdad!"No le respond al imbcil, simplemente me arrellanen el asie nto de atrs y mir al cielo incendiarsesobre Laventille, rosado como la camisa en la que dorma

1 ADIOS, CARENAJEEn el ocioso agosto, cuando el mar se apaciguay hojas de islas morenas se adhieren a la orillade este Carib e, apago la velajun to al rostro sin su eos de Maria Concepcinpara engancharme como marino en la goleta El Vuelo.

8/3/2019 Walcott_Derek_-_La_Goleta_el_Vuelo

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and l look in the rearview and see a manexa tly like me, and the man was weeping

for tite houses, the streets, that whole fucking island.

Christ havemereyon all sleeping things!From that dog rotting downWrightson Roadto when I was a dog on these streets;if loving these islands must be my load,out of corruption my soul takes wings,But they had started to poison my soulwith their big house, big cal', big-time bohbohl,coolie, nigger, Syrian, and French Creole,so I leave it for them and their carnival-1 taking a sea bath, 1gone down the road.I know these islands from Monos to Nassau,a rusty head sailorwith sea-green eyesthat tbey nickname Shabine, the patois for311Y red nigger, and 1, Shabine, sawwhen tbese slumsof empire was paradise .I'm just a red nigger who love the sea,1had a sound colonial education,I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me,and eithe.r I'm nobody, 01 ' I'm a nation.