José Antonio Galloso
Morning Prayer
1.
Cada mañana nos sentamos en medio de los cultivos,
alrededor del pequeño ojo de agua por el que se ve el futuro.
El planeta es el archipiélago del olvido. Los que quedamos, ningún humano entre ellos,
flotamos a la deriva o estamos atrapados
en pequeños fragmentos de tierra.
2.
El Wachuma cura el cuerpo, la mente, y el alma,
como su hermanito, Tatewari, ombligo de la roca.
Rodajas hierven horas en la mente. Silba el designio el espíritu del cerro.
El arte sagrado ha dejado en el tiempo imágenes de sacerdotes milenarios venerando el Wachuma, o
en trances o viajes a través de los portales.
Subconsciente flor y trauma de la infancia.
Unión completa con la naturaleza. Fin del dolor y revelación del camino. Reconocimiento de la
fuerza divina.
1.
Every morning we sit in the middle of the crops,
around the small eye of water through which the future can be seen.
The planet is the archipelago of oblivion. Those of us who remain, not a human among them,
Are we drifting or trapped
in small fragments of earth.
2.
Wachuma heals the body, mind, and soul,
like his little brother, Tatewari, navel of the rock.
Slices boil for hours in the mind. The spirit of the hill whistles the design.
Sacred art has left over time images of ancient priests venerating the Wachuma, or in trances or
journeys through the portals.
Subconscious flower and childhood trauma.
Complete union with nature. End of pain and revelation of the path. Recognition of divine force.
Reflection Questions:
What is the benefit of seeing this poem in two languages?
What is the difference between drifting in the world and being trapped in it?
What does this poem say about healing?
How does this poem make you think about the past, present, and future?
José Antonio Galloso (Lima, February 4, 1972) is a writer, photographer, and educator. He holds a degree in audiovisual communication, a bachelor's degree in Spanish from San Francisco State University, and a master's degree in Creative Writing from the International University of Valencia in collaboration with Grupo Planeta.
He is the author of the poetry collection *Si huyes hacia adentro* (If You Flee Inward), which was a finalist in the national competition "El poeta joven del Perú 1995" (The Young Poet of Peru 1995). He has published the novels *Tres días para Mateo* (Three Days for Mateo, 1999), *El mal viaje* (The Bad Trip, 2007), and *Adiós al barrio* (Goodbye to the Neighborhood, 2009), as well as the short story collection *Lima mala* (Bad Lima, 2010), all in Alfaguara's Red Series.
His work has been included in various anthologies, including *La mala nota: el colegio en el cuento peruano* (Bad Grade: School in the Peruvian Short Story), *Bien jugando (letras y pasión en el fútbol peruano)* (Well Played: Letters and Passion in Peruvian Soccer), and *El cuento peruano 2001–2010* (The Peruvian Short Story 2001–2010).
Alongside his literary work, he also pursues a career in photography and collage. His photographic work has been exhibited in galleries and featured in print media and on digital platforms. In the field of collage, in 2007, he published, with Chilean artist Pescador, the visual poetry book *Recortes de la memoria o el libro de la sombra* (Snippets of Memory or the Book of Shadows). In recent years, he participated in the project *Tarot de la Revolución y la Pandemia* (Tarot of the Revolution and the Pandemic), an initiative that brought together 24 visual artists from the Bay Area under the direction of Adrián Arias.
He has lived in Northern California since 2002.