I awake to the song, of the sabia
a bird whose song
is a continues melodic, melody.
The sun is bright,
shining through, the shuttered windows
glassless,
so that... the perfumed air of the earth,
meets no resistance.

I rise from bed...
a bed... almost to small to hold me.
Walking to the window,
I open the hand honed, blue shutters,
and the jungle... the floresta,
all that green, that verge,
is framed before me... in blue,
stark contrast to the white washed walls.

A hummingbird, a beijaflor ...kisses a flower
while a skinny dog... cachorro stretches,
then chases after a child...
a young girl...
her curly black hair,
bleached blond, by the jungles sun.
Her Mother.. Toothless shouts after her.
“ Anda menina, tem muito pra fazer!”
“ Hurry little one... there is much to do!”
No school for this one

Baby shows himself,
barefoot, knees dirty, diapered,
his T-shirt rising above the belly,
fist rubbing his eye.
To shy to talk...!

Chickens scratch the ground
and the green rooster galo struts.
The cachorro has long forgotten the children
and now chases a porcoespinho... a porcupine,
across the ridge... back into the jungle.
tonight... we will have to bind the dog,
tightly to a tree,
and with a pair of pliers,
remove the quills from his snout.

The jungle...
The floresta, it’s silver palm fronds
turned toward the sun,
reflecting like giant mirrors.
Butterflies... borboleta, dart across
Iemanja blue skies
like schools of flying fish.
While clouds.... samba,
as white as skirts
of... condomble cotton.

Insects buss, mosquitoes... purple banana blossoms,
and sparrows land on Taioba,
with leaves the size of elephant’s ears.
A spring trickles down the rocks,
forming a pool,
next to the bamboo...
there the old frog sapo croaks.

Outside... on the porch,
a small table has been prepared.
Papaya, pao and quejio, have been laid,
served with cafe, dark, sweet and sticky,
drunk from a small glass... called a xicara.
On my bare chest...
I ware the beads, of the Sete Santos,
having completed... all seven banos,
felio de Xango!

Far down... in the valley
on the dusty dirt road,
and old man is walking.
Chepeu on head.. shirt unbuttoned,
carrying over his shoulder... a hoe.
How far... I have removed myself,
living in a house ... built on stilts
in the mountains... of Vitoria...
na floresta, verde... do Brasil!