Pronto, já fui censurado...

A bit of friendly advice

Dear Portugal,

This is Ireland here. I know we don't know each other very well, though I hear some of our developers are down with you riding out the recession. They could be there for a while. Anyway, I don't mean to intrude but I've been reading about you in the papers and it strikes me that I might be able to offer you a bit of advice on where you are at and what lies ahead. As the joke now goes, what's the difference between Portugal and Ireland? Five letters and six months.

Anyway, I notice now that you are under pressure to accept a bailout but your politicians are claiming to be determined not to take it. It will, they say, be over their dead bodies. In my experience that means you'll be getting a bailout soon, probably on a Sunday. First let me give you a tip on the nuances of the English language. Given that English is your second language, you may think that the words 'bailout' and 'aid' imply that you will be getting help from our European brethren to get you out of your current difficulties. English is our first language and that's what we thought bailout and aid meant. Allow me to warn you, not only will this bailout, when it is inevit-ably forced on you, not get you out of your current troubles, it will actually prolong your troubles for generations to come.

For this you will be expected to be grateful. If you want to look up the proper Portuguese for bailout, I would suggest you get your English-Portuguese dictionary and look up words like: moneylending, usury, subprime mortgage, rip-off. This will give you a more accurate translation of what will be happening you. I see also that you are going to change your government in the next couple of months. You will forgive me that I allowed myself a little smile about that. By all means do put a fresh coat of paint over the subsidence cracks in your economy. And by all means enjoy the smell of fresh paint for a while. We got ourselves a new Government too and it is a nice diversion for a few weeks. What you will find is that the new government will come in amidst a slight euphoria from the people. The new government will have made all kinds of promises during the election campaign about burning bondholders and whatnot and the EU will smile benignly on while all that loose talk goes on.

Then, when your government gets in, they will initially go out to Europe and throw some shapes. You might even win a few sports games against your old enemy, whoever that is, and you may attract visits from foreign dignitaries like the Pope and that. There will be a real feel-good vibe in the air as everyone takes refuge in a bit of delusion for a while.

And enjoy all that while you can, Portugal. Because reality will be waiting to intrude again when all the fun dies down. The upside of it all is that the price of a game of golf has become very competitive here. Hopefully the same happens down there and we look forward to seeing you then.

Love,

Ireland.


Carta publicada no jornal irlandês "Sunday Independent" a 28/03/2011

Eu cá não peço desculpa: Reinvento-me!

Escrevo neste blog há 6 anos e tal... Sempre disse que não fazia comentário político neste blog, e até há umas semanas atrás mantive e optava por não falar aqui de política. Ocasionalmente, no passado, em não mais de meia-dúzia de posts, fiz pequenas alusões cirúrgicas a um ou outro fait-divers mais flagrante, daqueles que não dá para deixar passar em branco, mas nada mais que isso. Contudo, qual candidato em pré-campanha, desde o início da crise política provocada pelo chumbo do PEC4, dei comigo a falar aqui de política mais do que me agrada fazê-lo, declaradamente, a manifestar críticas e a comentar posições políticas, em suma, a consporcar o meu blog, muitas vezes meramente ao sabor da evolução das manobras dos partidos e dos seus lideres, nomeadamente aqueles nos quais não me revejo, e que com as suas macacadas me obrigaram a faltar à minha palavra...
Mas agora acabou-se!
Faço como o Pedro Passos Coelho, dou o dito por não dito, e não volto a falar aqui de política!

Justiça Poética

O Tsunami no Japão é o Mar a ripostar pela caça desenfreada e bárbara à Baleia!



In the turquoise inner space
the giants live with grace
at peace with peace
at peace with god and men

their spirits rise and fall
much greater than us all
they trust too much
to see their bitter end
never in a million years, they say
it could never come to this, no way
you should never trust man, my friends

so as i stare to sea
the salt winds call to me
and as they call
i hang my head in shame
any other world could call their bluff
but any other world would scream enough
the ocean cries louder to me

save the whale . . .
save the whale . . .

to never kiss and tell
their factory ship farewell
with every scream
a piece of conscience dies
lying in a crimson resting place
crying with a smile upon his face
the giant dies trusting in me

any other world would call their bluff
but any other world would scream enough
the ocean cries louder to me

save the whale . . .
and jesus christ almighty
save the whale . . .
for all our sakes
save the whale . . .

...your love feels like trumpets sound...

Reivindicar

-Foste à Manifestação?
-Não, fiquei em casa a exercer os meus direitos conjugais!

Vontade de escrever

Apetece-me escrever
Deixar a escrita voar
Escrever palavras já lidas
Poema escrito a dizer
Que escrever é como amar
E a escrita fecha as feridas

O sangue faz-se caneta
Tinteiro perpétuo em mim
Que a mão está agarrada
À pena que é baioneta
Pois só sei escrever assim
Palavras à desgarrada


Gostava de escrever bem
De escrever palavras com vida
Mas se a vida se faz dor
Eu escrevo o nome de alguém
Palavra que me é querida
E da escrita faço amor

Não sei se é bom ou mau
Se é causa ou solução
Mas é vontade de escrever
Escrever na areia com um pau
Gravar um nome no coração
Deixa-lo lá até morrer...

-Parabéns Baby!

Olha o passarinho (se conseguires)

É certinho, no dia seguinte à festa aparece-se sempre "taggado" nas fotos mais alucinadas.

De passagem em Lisboa

Com asma, pulso aberto, torcicolo à espreita... ai...