Found this bright street art one rainy morning during my recent Portugese writing retreat.

Turns out I need to expand my knowledge of Portugese poets. The little I’ve since read of Andrade’s work is gorgeous.

URGENTLY

It’s urgent — love.
It’s urgent — a boat upon the sea.
It’s urgent to destroy certain words,
hate, solitude, and cruelty,
some moanings,
many swords.

It’s urgent to invent a joyfulness,
multiply kisses and cornfields,
discover roses and rivers
and glistening mornings — it’s urgent.

Silence and an impure light fall upon
our shoulders till they ache.
It’s urgent — love, it’s urgent
to endure.

(translation by Alexis Levitin, found gratefully on movingpoems.com)