Fernando A. Coello

Translation of: Destino

I will watch you from afar,
entranced, in love.

I will approach you slowly,
so you can see me.

We will flirt.

You will ask me to talk to you
—with a vague gesture.

I will ask your name;
you will smile when you hear mine.

“Nice to meet you.”

I will invite you to a café,
following the protocol.

You will propose a place
I will never have heard of.

“See you later.”

You will ask for a caffè espresso;
I will imagine the taste of your kisses.

You will stare, for a long time,
at the corners of my eyes.

We will smile.

You will like my eyebrows,
I will praise the shape of your mouth.

Your hand will reach out for my cheek,
I will kiss you again and again.

We will love.

We will sleep together every night,
and have breakfast together.

Every single detail of you, I will know;
What I love and hate, you will know.

We will flirt.

One day, I will hold you from behind,
I will cross my arms around you.

I will kiss your neck and you will say:
remember that day in the metro?

Of course.

I will look at you for a long time,
entranced, in love.

“What did you tell me your name was that time?” you will ask.
“Fate,” I will respond. And you will smile again.

Nice to meet you.

Te miraré desde lejos,
embelesado, enamorado.

Me acercaré con lentitud;
podrás verme tú así.

Coquetearemos.

Me pedirás que te hable
—con un gesto vago.

Te preguntaré tu nombre;
tú sonreirás al escuchar el mío.

“Mucho gusto.”

Te invitaré a un café,
siguiendo el protocolo.

Propondrás un lugar
del cual nunca había oído.

“Te veo luego.”

Pedirás un caffè espresso,
yo imaginaré el sabor de tus besos.

Contemplarás por largo rato
las esquinas de mis ojos.

Sonreiremos.

Alagarás mis cejas,
alagaré la forma de tu boca.

Acercarás tu mano a mi mejilla,
te besaré una y otra vez.

Nos amaremos.

Dormiremos juntos cada noche,
y juntos desayunaremos.

Cada ínfimo detalle de ti sabré;
lo que amo y odio tú sabrás.

Coquetearemos.

Un día, te abrazaré por detrás,
cruzaré mis brazos a tu alrededor.

Besaré tu cuello y me dirás:
¿recuerdas aquel día en el metro?

Por supuesto.

Te miraré por largo rato,
embelesado, enamorado.

“¿Cómo me dijiste entonces que te llamabas?” preguntarás.
“Destino”, responderé. Y sonreirás de nuevo.

Mucho gusto.

General Chemistry: Macroscopic Investigations and Reaction Principles

⌊ General Chemistry Laboratory I

⌊ General Chemistry Laboratory II

Perspectives on Health and Health Care

College Writing

Introduction to Poetry

Introduction to Information Systems

In case you’re wondering, I have to take Chemistry for four semesters (pre-med requisite.) I like it. I don’t die for it, but I like it. I prefer Biology and Physics. Next semester, I’ll be taking more Chemistry, of course, and more Informatics courses, as well as Math (both Calc and Stats.) Fun stuff! (I’m not being sarcastic. I’m actually excited.) I’m a nerd, if you haven’t noticed. Oh, and I’ll take Photography next summer.

Love was not enough for you to keep her.

Negated
Rotten by routine, your truth became a deceit;
your love, poisoned and obsolete.

Destroyed
In chaos, you let her go, you set her free.
You broke her heart to let her flee.

Downfall
She soon forgot your name.
You tried and tried to do the same.

Solitude
She relinquished you. Now you loved her.
It happened so fast it was just a blur.

Torment
You are desolate; your heart, black. She is long gone.
You are only her past. You are forever alone.

Love is enough for you to miss her.

Translation of: Lo bello, lo hiriente

I want to and I do not want to feel.

Your last caress;
how much I will love it,
how much my body will miss it.

I do not want to and I want to taste.

Your last kiss;
how perfect it will be,
how much it will burn me.

I want to and I do not want to hear.

Your last words;
how appropriate they will be,
how, unforgettable, they will hurt me.

I do not want to imagine.
I do not want to imagine us.

I imagine.
Us, I imagine.

Quiero y no quiero sentir.

Tu última caricia;
cómo me encantará,
cuánto mi cuerpo la extrañará.

No quiero y quiero saborear.

Tu último beso;
cuán perfecto será,
cómo quemará.

Quiero y no quiero escuchar.

Tus últimas palabras;
cuán apropiadas serán,
cómo, inolvidables, dolerán.

No quiero imaginar.
No quiero imaginarnos.

Imagino.
Imagínonos.

i can’t look into your eyes anymore. at least not for long. i’m scared of them sometimes (if not always.) you never tell me how this really makes you feel, but you know i know. you can close your mouth, restrain your words. you can pretend all you want, but you know i know. it’s precisely in your eyes that i see your fear. and your fear makes me fear. it’s precisely in your eyes that i can see your suffering. and your suffering makes me suffer. i never shut up. i’m always telling you how i feel. i’m half sad, half happy. no word can calm you. no word can calm me. i know how much you hate me when i tell you that i’m sorry, so i won’t. but you know i am. (i truly am sorry.) you say “stop blaming yourself for this. it’s not your fault.” but it is my fault. “no one’s tying me to you.” but you are tied to me. i’m tied to you. and it’s wonderful. but i’m hurting you. i will hurt you. this, baby, will hurt. and there’s nothing i can do about it. all i can do is evade your eyes and restrain my tears. our tears. i love you. but you already know that. you love me. you know i know.

Solitude
“I turn my back on you,”
your frivolous light said;
you, moonlight.

Rain
My girl, poor you,
do not cry anymore;
with you, I am.

Sleeping Beauty
Oh, asleep,
next to my soul and body;
each other we loved.

Immortal Fall
In this fall,
ornament of my path,
fallen leaves are.

Midnight
The night falls
and its beautiful stars;
I cry, silent.

One More
Life, if only,
a new dawn,
enjoy, I could!

Abyss
Strange,
into an abyss we fall;
in this winter.

Thinking of You
How unfair this life is!
Don’t you know that I live
thinking of you?

Tears
The waterfalls.
Oh, your eyes and mine
cannot stop crying!

Soledad
“Te doy mi espalda”,
tu frívola luz dijo;
tú, luz de luna.

Lluvia
Pobre, mi niña,
no llores, no, no más;
contigo estoy.

Mi bella durmiente
Dormida tú,
junto a mi alma y mi cuerpo;
oh, nos amamos.

Inmortal otoño
En este otoño,
adornan mi sendero,
las caídas hojas.

A medianoche
Y cae la noche,
y sus bellas estrellas;
silente, lloro.

Uno más
¡Vida, si sólo,
un nuevo amanecer
disfrutar podría!

Abismo
Todos extraños,
en un abismo caemos;
en este invierno.

Pensando en ti
¡Qué injusta vida!
No sabes tú que vivo
pensando en ti…

Lágrimas
Las cataratas,
¡oh! tus ojos y los míos,
sin cesar lloran.

03/2008

Te lo diré una vez:
me has embrutecido.

No es la forma más romántica,
sino la más acertada y real,
de decírtelo, amor.

Sin rimas ni ambigua semántica:
cerca de ti, soy un ente irracional.
Me has hecho idiota.

Te lo diré dos veces:
me has enamorado.

//

I will tell you this once:
you have made me dumb.

It is not the most romantic,
but the most accurate and real,
way of saying it, love.

Without rhymes or ambiguous semantics:
close to you, I am plain irrational.
You have made me idiotic.

I will tell you this twice:
I have fallen for you.