Lullaby            

                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                             (Christina Ramalho)  

 

 

 

As if it were a miracle,

 

his words came to us

 

bringing a sense of justice

 

we had never heard before.

 

(Although it was just October

 

and our dreams, therefore,

 

were dead beat on shore.)

 

His gentle and loving eyes

 

came to us as lullabies.

 

They could tell us new stories

 

and we felt like children again.

 

(Although it was just October

 

and our feelings, therefore,

 

couldn’t feel anything anymore.)  

 

 

 

As if it were unreal,

 

his voice increased the day

 

and its twenty-four hours

 

beat together this midday.

 

(Although it was just October

 

and our hearts, therefore,

 

were silent waiting a commodore.)

 

His peaceful and grateful face

 

came to us as a new mirror 

 

in which we’ll find

 

a new mind, a new hero.

 

(Although it was just October

 

and our own faces, therefore,

 

had no lights, no rights, no mores.)

 

 

 

As if it were a divine gift,

 

he came to us brave and ready.

 

Through his desire of pragmatism

 

we felt revive our patriotism.

 

(Although it was just October

 

and our souls, therefore,

 

were drifting by the seashore.)

 

 

 

As if it were a great convocation,

 

he claimed our mobilization.

 

“This is the hour!” is what he said.

 

And we believed and took our caps.

 

(Although it was just October,

 

and we didn’t know exactely what to do.)

 

 

 

His lullaby didn’t make us sleep.

 

It made us  wake up and believe

 

that our nightmares could disappear

 

if we say “hope” instead of “fear”!

 

 

 

As a message of a great poet,

 

that one day crossed the Atlantic,

 

his lullaby is crossing distances

 

and scattering an ocean of ethics.

 

 

 

In the past, for three times,

 

we had to say: Lula, bye…

 

Now his new song

 

brought us the change.

 

And all of us felt glad to say:

 

Welcome, fellow!

 

This nation now is red, green and yellow!

 

 

 

We’ll sing our song,

 

we’ll make this country strong.

 

(Because although it was just October,

 

we could hear the future’s clamour

 

leaving his lips, without weepings.)

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s work.

 

That’s all, folks!

 

 

 

 

 

        ​29 de outubro de 2002.

 

October, 29th, 2002

 

(inédito – unpublished – no publié)