El Español es espíritu, el Ingles es material

El español es espíritu, el Ingles es material

By Federico Anaya Sánchez

English is matter, just matter—
Something that floats—
Invisible or visible, a tool—
Necessity of flesh and business,

A thought of clean tongues,
white language,
Teutonic speech.

Spanish is breath
and blood,
the face becoming the thought,
calling forth the hands
in particular tones.

It is a pilgrimage
Through all Latin countries
where lisps are beloved,
s’s, disavowed,
r’s, chameleons,
and everyone knows
how to roar.

In Spanish, kiss me
is one word. Sí has a sea of meanings,
and you can feel heat
beating from the
o in sol.

And no one loves
Cars and houses—
only people,
their land and their God.