Then You Kissed Me
Written by Raquel Lanseros
Translated from Spanish by Gordon McNeer
Narrated by Bill Wolak
Spain
To celebrate our bodies, so full of the present moment
to smooth out their edges and unite them
in the infinite circle of our sap
we seek out each other’s form blindly
to fuse our abandoned skin
with the sacred murmurings of life.
You look at me overflowing with everything joy unites
casting back my blood to its origin
and my desire taken to the limit.
There exists no union more truthful
nor greater clarity in the substance
from which we are created.
This blessed fusion made from our entrails,
the permanent artery of our race.
Only those who have kissed know that they are immortal.
Raquel Lancers is one of the most awarded and recognized voices of contemporary poetry in Spanish. About 200 critics of more than 100 universities around the world have chosen her as the most relevant Spanish-language female poet born after 1970. Her last collection of poetry published in Spain entitled Matria won the 2019 National Critics Award.
Gordon McNeer is a poet, professor, and translator, who is of Mexican-American descent. He earned his B.A. and M.A. in Spanish and his Ph.D. in Romance Languages from Princeton University. His area of specialization is the Spanish lyrical tradition, with a concentration in contemporary Spanish poetry.