Costa rican poet Paula Piedra has published one book of poetry called Mental Exercises. Below are two of her poems translated from Spanish to English by Andrés Alfaro.

Us in Hologram

We meet up at 9:30 p.m.

I take you to a place
to which you will never think of returning.

I try to make you dance.
But you don't know how
to dress lightly,
nor breathe
in such humidity.

From afar,
someone is watching us.
He imagines that you and I
go out often.

That I love you.

And that pleases him.



Yes, the American Dream Does Exist

I like to hide,
I go out without makeup,
hair in my face,
with whatever clothes on
just to walk along some street
and arrive at a building.

There I am rewarded for not doing anything
and talking with people that I don't know
despite recognizing their voices.

The conversations take place quickly,
mechanical, more habitual
as time passes.

Eager for something to happen,
after the working day,
I return home.
I find,
at long last!
Familiar faces on television.

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