Everytime I realize how ignorant I am, I look at all the things I don’t know, and I feel overwhelmed. And most of the time, for lack of motivation, the feeling is so powerful that I just give up on these things. Which is absolutely not the right thing to do. Deeply, I think that one of the most valuable characteristics a human being can have is curiosity. It is with new experiences, new knowledge, but also new people, that someone can really grow and understand himself. For example, it is only after you go through a certain number of art books and exhibitions that you can understand your sensibility and what you like and love in art.

One of the things I know almost nothing about, but for some time now have wanted to get into, is poetry. I have nothing but respect and admiration for poets. I love words and I like writing. Like right now I am having a great time writing this blog post. So when Melanie asked me to think of something I wanted to explore during the summer, the choice was clear. What better than letterpress and printmaking can take poetry and turn it into a beautiful object? So for the first time this Tuesday, and I am very grateful to Melanie for pushing me into it, I took the afternoon to read through a lot of poems. I thought I would share with you guys my favorite one so far. It was written by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and while I was reading it I couldn’t help but think of the famous Le Douanier Rousseau painting, the Dream. The poem is called

The Dream – Le Douanier Rousseau

The Tiger

I am the tiger.
I lie in wait for you among leaves
broad as ingots
of wet mineral.

The white river grows
beneath the fog.  You come.

Naked you submerge.
I wait.

Then in a leap
of fire, blood, teeth,
with a claw slash I tear away
your bosom, your hips.

I drink your blood, I break
your limbs one by one.

And I remain watching
for years in the forest
over your bones, your ashes,
motionless, far
from hatred and anger,
disarmed in your death,
crossed by lianas,
motionless in the rain,
relentless sentinel
of my murderous love.

I just can’t wait to see what can be achieved with these words and our press.