Don't Save Yourself

I heard that Mario Benedetti died. Then I let myself honor him by posting one of his poems. Personally, it is very important and meaningful. It was given to me attached in a mail by my ex-boss at RT&A, when I said good bye. I think it is a very brilliant, versatile poem.

I don´t declare myself an avid reader of Benedetti´s work. But, I hope to get to know him much more.

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Don't Save Yourself
By Mario Benedetti

Don’t remain immobile
At the edge of the road
Don’t freeze the joy
Don’t love with reluctance
Don’t save yourself now
or ever
Don’t save yourself
Don’t fill with calm
Don’t reserve in the world
Only a secure place
Don’t let your eyelids fall
Heavily as judgments
Don’t speak without lips
Don’t sleep without sleepiness
Don’t imagine yourself without blood
Don’t judge yourself without time.

But if
in spite of everything
You can’t help it,
And you freeze the joy,
And you love with reluctance,
And you save yourself now,
And you fill with calm
And you reserve in the world
Only a calm place,
And you let fall your eyelids
Heavily as judgments,
And you speak without lips,
And you sleep without sleepiness,
And you imagine yourself without blood,
And you judge yourself without time,
And you remain immobile
At the edge of the road,
And you save yourself,
Then
Don’t stay with me.

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I hope you loved it and were pushed (like I was) to go deeper into the literature of one of the greatest latin american writers.