We reproduce a poem of ‘Nor am I a robot’ (Broken glass, 2024), a book with which the poet and journalist Amalia Iglesias Serna has raised with the last Castilla y León Critics award.
Amalia Iglesias He wonders in his last book “What does human being mean in this dystopian world” and, through powerful images and contemporary metaphors, “invites us to question our relationship with what surrounds us, from artificial intelligence to the scars that leaves the passage of time.”
According to the jury granted to him the Cyl 2024 critics award, ‘Nor am I a robot’ It is “the living expression of the need for art, especially poetry, to claim the word to combat dehumanization, transhumanization of the world.” At the same time it is also “a voice, curd throughout an impeccable poetic career, which is allowed to ask and ask its readers about one of the greatest and most disturbing uncertainties of our time.”
The poem we choose, one of the most emotional in the book, is titled ‘Emotional Intelligence’ and is dedicated to the author’s children:
— — —
Emotional Intelligence
For Carlos, for Javier,
one by one.
It will often be so useless to try to understand your emotions
how to want to stop a river
or catch the fog with the hands
(but not for that you are trying to try).
You can never stop stepping on your shadow,
Maybe if you get out slowly you get not damaged.
The serenity of your footprints will take you further,
get used to walking next to others.
Never forget that your steps belong to you
and the right to mistake you as a path.
Cry when you feel need to do it,
But keep your laugh for later.
Keep our kisses by then.
Sometimes restlessness will bring deaf hurricanes to your temples,
Learn to manage vertigo, to live in victory and defeat,
It is good to know how to lose, but not less than you learn to win.
Put passion to everything you do,
But don’t let yourself be blinded by passions.
There will be questions for which you will not find an answer,
Do not determine to look for those that do not exist,
Doubt from time to time is healthy.
You will never know where time goes,
nor where it starts or where it ends.
Listen to the wind, you will always have something true to tell you.
Measure the intensity of your emotion.
If you are going to upload a mountain,
Calculate that you are forces to go down,
If you go, don’t make anyone believe that you will be forever.
You will never know you at all, but it is not necessary either.
Do not prevent others from knowing you,
Within you also live seeds
that only they can sprout,
Neither do you forget that weeds grow next to flowers.
Make yourself horticulturist yourself
And remember that the plant must become bigger
That the pot that contains it.
You will be happy and you will always want to be,
But do not carefully when you don’t get it,
No one ever said that everything was going to be easy,
Nor do I have recipes or certainties to give you.
If the reason ever tells you that it does not understand
Ask the heart that he is never wrong.
… And although it rains outside there, the world will continue to be beautiful.
:: About the author
Amalia Iglesias Serna (Menaza, Palencia; 1962) is a philologist, poet and cultural journalist. During the last three decades he has worked on written journalism and cultural management in prestigious media (Diario 16, Book Magazine…). She is currently editor of Western Magazine.
Among his poems books stand out A place for fireAdonáis Prize 1984; Amauta MemorialAlonso de Ercilla Award of the Basque Government 1987; Dice and doubtsprize prize Jaime Gil de Biedma 1995; Lázaro shakes the ortigas, Villa de Madrid Award 2006; The river thirstCiudad de Salamanca 2016 award, and Totem frightening (2016).
