Campos de Soria

VII

Colinas plateadas,
grises alcores, cárdenas roquedas
por donde traza el Duero
su curva de ballesta
en torno a Soria, oscuros encinares,
ariscos pedregales, calvas sierras,
caminos blancos y álamos del río,
tardes de Soria, mística y guerrera,
hoy siento por vosotros, en el fondo
del corazón, tristeza,
tristeza que es amor! ¡Campos de Soria
donde parece que las rocas sueñan,
conmigo vais! ¡Colinas plateadas,
grises alcores, cárdenas roquedas!...

Antonio Machado

Noche Porteña

March or April of 1961? Arriving in the airport at Ezeiza, after 24 hour milk-run down the west coast of South America, over the Andes and into Argentina. Late afternoon, drive to La Plata with the Kraiselburd family: Elias, Lea, Gustavo, Gaston. Abuela? Flatness of the land, nothing visible over a horizon. Arriving in La Plata in the evening, trying to make out what the place was like from back seat of their family car. Cobblestone paving, yellowish street lamps, far between. Pools of light at leafy intersections, then bumpy blocks of darkness. No sense of destination until we'd almost arrived. Calle 52, Numero 362? Me trato de acordar...