My earliest writing is my poetry. That dates back to 1971. It is also the first two books I published in 2010; two books with two collections of poetry in each. The first book contains my oldest poetry, sans a few of the love poems, the Rod McKuen, Lois Wyse type, during my first marriage. Well, that's out of the way now. The rest of the poetry has to do with social issues, some in reference to the Dust Bowl Days, lost farms, people in close spaces, youth in their wiles, that sort of thing.
The second book of poems was written while I was in Mexico, first time around, alone, visiting to test the waters, with the second trip south with the woman who would later become my wife, living in in a tiny village a few miles south of Puerto Vallarta, in 1997-98. Different style, more cerebral, less intuitive heart, as it turns out. Different, yet from the same instincts.
Both of these books have been listed on Amazon for these past fourteen years, and what I have learned over that time is simply that Americans don't read poetry for the most part. Poet laureates maybe, but not unknowns. Which doesn't change anything for me as I have don't write for acknowledgement, fame or fortune, although that wouldn't hurt any. I write for me, because the material wants to come out, end up on the page, just how it want it. It's for me. I'm the editor. My inspiration for this effort derives from Pablo Naruda's "The Captains' Verses"; with Spanish to English side by side versions. I loved it. Helped me remember some Spanish.
I am now trying out this new fangled AI translation applications. I never though I would see the day when I would be doing that. I began using a pencil and pad of paper, upgrading to a very heavy Remington Upright typewriter, which I carried around for twenty years, over numerous moves. Thus, using a digital application to translate my poetry into Spanish is.... interesting. I also notice that with the 'Pro' version, the translations can be done in formal, or casual, and a couple other versions. Having spent two years of college studying Spanish, I can speak the language like a four-year-old. Those four semesters had to do with conjugating verbs, not speaking the language.
I am bright enough to have a native speaker read the original poem then the translation to offer up their comments on said translation. I am using DeepL translator, and it got a very good grade from the report I got. I'm rather happy about that, as I am halfway through the book of poetry written in Mexico. Seemed the right work to be translating into Spanish. I don't suspect that this book will do what the other poetry books haven't; make sales. But I am happy about having accomplished the work. At this time, the book will be called "Time of the Ancestors". Who, knows, just maybe someone will be curious and buy a copy to check it out.
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