In the evening the neon lights are soft
And the red star on a radio tower
in the twilight sky of Managua
looks as pretty as Venus
and an ESSO sign looks like the moon
The red taillights of the cars are mystical
(The soul is like a girl kissed hard behind a car)
TACA BUNGE KLM SINGER
MENNEN HTM GÓMEZ NORGE
RPM SAF ÓPTICA SELECTA
all proclaim the glory of God!
(Kiss me under the glowing signs oh God)
KODAK TROPICAL RADIO F&C REYES
they spell your Name
in many colors.
“They broadcast
the news …”
I don’t know
what else they mean
I don’t defend the cruelty behind these lights
And if I have to give a testimony about my times
it’s this: They were primitive and barbaric
but poetic
Ernesto Cardenal (1925 - 2020) Nicaragua
Translated by Jonathan Cohen
Source: Jonathan Cohen website
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