BRAZILIAN ROCKER-POETS: ARNALDO ANTUNES

Stones are much slower than animals. Plants give more smell when the rain falls. When winter comes, swallows fly to summer. Pigeons love corn and breadcrumbs. The rains come from water the sun evaporates. When people come from far away they carry bags. When fish swim together they form a school. Larvae become butterflies inside cocoons. Toes keep you from falling. The wise keep silent while others talk. The machines for making nothing aren’t broken. Monkey tails work like arms. Dog tails work like smiles. Cows eat the same food twice. Pages were written to be read. Trees can live longer than people. Elephants and dolphins have a good memory. Words can be used in many ways. Matches can only be used once. When glass is very clean you almost don’t see it. Gum’s for chewing but not swallowing. Dromedaries have one hump and the other kind has two. Midnights last longer than mid-days. Turtles are born in eggs but they aren’t birds. Whales live in water but they aren’t fish. When we brush our teeth they get white. When hair gets old it gets white. Indian music makes rain fall. The bodies of the buried dead fertilize the earth. Cars take many curves to climb the ridge. Kids like to ask questions about everything. Not all answers fit in a grown-up. (translated from the Portuguese by Chris Daniels) 

As pedras são muito mais lentas que os animais. As plantas exalam mais cheiro quando a chuva cai. As andorinhas quando chega o inverno voam até o verão. Os pombos gostam de milho e de migalhas de pão. As chuvas vêm da água que o sol evapora. Os homens quando vêm de longe trazem malas. Os paices quando nadam juntos formam um cardume. As larvas viram borboletas dentro dos casulos. Os dedos dos pés evitam que se caia. Os sábios ficam em silêncio quandos os outros falam. As máquinas de fazer nada não estão quebradas. Os rabos dos macados servem como braços. Os rabos dos cachorros servem como risos. As vacas comem duas vezes a mesma comida. As páginas foram escritas para serem lidas. As árvores podem viver mais tempo que as pessoas. Os elefantes e golfinhos têm boa memória. Palavras podem ser usadas de muitas maneiras. Os fósforos só podem ser usados uma vez. Os vidros quando estão bem limpos quase não se vê. Chicletes são pra mastigar mas não para engolir. Os dromedários têm uma corcova e os camelos duas. As meia-noites duram menos do que os meio-dias. As tartarugas nascem em ovos mas não são aves. As baleias vivem na água mas não são paeixes. Os dentes quando a gente escova ficam brancos. Cabelos quando ficam velhos ficam brancos. As músicas dos índios fazem cair chuva. Os corpos dos mortos enterrados adubam a terra. Os carros fazem muitas curvas para subir a serra, Crianças gostam de fazer perguntas sobre tudo. Nem toas as respostas cbem num adulto.  

ARNALDO ANTUNES has been doing music, poetry, performances and interventions in other media since 1980. He has published five books: OU E (1982); Psia, Ed. Expressão/Ed Iluminuras, São Paulo (1986/2nd edition); Tudos, Ed. Iluminuras, São Paulo (1990/3rd edition); As Coisas - Jabui Poetry Prize, Ed. Iluminuras, São Paulo (1992/3rd edition) and 2 ou + corpos no mesmo espaço Ed. Perspectiva São Paulo (1997). In 1982 he founded the rock group Titans (Titãs) and performed with them until 1992. They released seven albums by Warner/Brazil, winning many gold and platinum L/P’s. In 1993, after leaving the Titans, he released NOME, a multimedia project developed from his poems and songs. Recently Arnaldo took part in the event Dentro Brasil (Inside Brazil), with a poetry-installation, an exhibition of his visual poetry and the video NOME, alongside a multimedia installation by Bruce and Norman Yonemoto and a program of 23 videos by Brazilian video artists, at the Long Beach Museum of Art in California.