Based on an excerpt from a poem by J. Cortázar

“What vanity to imagine that I can give you everything…”
Bolero poem by Julio Cortazar
Olympia Coria
Olympia Coria

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Jan 16, 2019

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I remember my first encounter with this text, those were days of innocence and discovery, I was incredulous — I still am.

What vanity to imagine

that I can give you everything, love and happiness,

itineraries, music, toys.

It is true that it is like this:

I give you everything of mine, it's true,

But all that I have is not enough for you

As it is not enough for me that you give me

all yours.

That's why we will never be

the perfect couple, the postcard,

If we are not able to accept

that only in arithmetic

two is born from one plus one.

There's a little piece of paper over there

which only says:

You were always my mirror,

I mean, to see me I had to look at you.

And this fragment:

The slow machine of heartbreak

the gears of ebb and flow

the bodies that leave the pillows

the sheets the kisses

and standing in front of the mirror questioning himself

every man for himself

no longer looking at each other

no longer naked for each other

I do not love you anymore,

my love.

Julio Cortazar