Only one thing I did wrong
Stayed in Mississippi a day too long.
–Bob Dylan, Mississippi, Love and Theft
Bad Timing
Our enthusiasm fostered these days that run
among the crowd of days all alike.
Our weakness placed on them
our last hope.
We used to think and time that should have been priceless
was passing us poorly
and these are, well, the coming years.
We were going to solve everything now.
Life was ahead of us.
It was best not to act rashly.
by Enrique Lihn
from The Dark Room and other poems;
New Directions Books, 1963
Destiempo
Nuestro entusiasmo alentaba a estos días que corren
entre la multitud de la igualdad de los días.
Nuestra debilidad cifraba en ellos
nuestra última esperanza.
Pensábamos y el tiempo que no tendría precio
se nos iba pasando pobremente
y estos son, pues, los años venideros.
Todo lo íbamos a resolver ahora.
Teníamos la vida por delante.
Lo mejor era no precipitarse.