<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Thoughts on a Journey</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">1</div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">I knew I had to take gold.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">When it was brought from my treasury,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">even I marveled at it.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> It had come from a royal suppliant,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> a small coffer chased in lions & suns.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">Even he did not fully know how costly it is:</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> the metal shines with the sweat of slaves,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> its beauty weighed by blood.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">(I had dreamt that in another world</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> it is called the excrement of gods.)</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">It had to be the incorruptible measure of cost.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> 2</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">Once I knew I was going,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> I knew what I would bring;</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">the casket of olibanum stood on the table,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">white male frankincense, breast-shaped drops,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">brought by a traveler from Hadramaut.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> As I gazed at the sky</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> the three tears I had placed in the brazier</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> gave up their scent.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">It smelled bitterly sweet, this clotted blood of trees.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">This smoke holy to the rites of Isis,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">this costly gum precious to Horus.</div><br><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> 3</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">For every coming there is a going,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> even for stars.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">One is no more astounding than the other,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">one is to be celebrated even as the other,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> & I sent for the myrrh,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> brown & bitter & costly,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> brought long distances by a friend.</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">(He said that somewhere it is fed cows</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">to make their milk flow rich.)</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> Incense for the gods,</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> unguent for the dead.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York';"> </p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York';"><i>[From the records of a Galilean merchant late in the reign of Herod the Great: “The census has been good for trade, praise the Lord God. Prices are high and no one asks where the money comes from. Today a clownish craftsman bought one of my good mules: a gold box; two thick wool blankets: a pound of frankincense; and wheat-bread, dried figs, three goat-skins of wine (for a long trip, he said): one pound of myrrh.â€]</i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York';"><i> </i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York'; font-style: italic; white-space: pre;"> </span>- Rafael Jesus Gonzales</div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div style="text-align: left; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Pensamientos durante una Jornada</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">1</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Supe que tendrÃa que llevar oro.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Cuando lo trajeron de mi tesorerÃa</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">aun yo me maravillé de él.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> Me habÃa llegado de un suplicante real,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> un pequeño cofre engastado con soles y leones.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Ni él sabÃa del todo lo costoso que es:</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> el metal luce con el sudor de esclavos,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> su belleza pesada con sangre.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">(HabÃa soñado yo que en algún otro mundo</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> se le llamaba el excremento de los dioses.)</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">TenÃa que ser la medida incorruptible del precio.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> 2</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Una vez que supe que iba,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> supe lo que traerÃa;</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">el cofrecito de olÃbano estaba sobre la mesa,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">blanco incienso macho, gotas en forma de pezones,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">traÃdo por un viajero de Hadramaut.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> Al mirar al cielo</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> las tres lágrimas que habÃa puesto en el brasero </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> despidieron su aroma.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">OlÃa amargamente dulce, </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">esta coagulada sangre de árboles.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Este humo sacro a los ritos de Isis,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">esta costosa resina preciosa a Hero.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> 3</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">Por cada venir hay un ir,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> aun para las estrellas.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">El uno no más asombrante que el otro,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">el uno es para celebrarse tanto como el otro,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> y mandé por la mirra,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> morena y amarga y costosa,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> traÃda a través largas distancias por un amigo.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">(Dijo que en algún lugar se la alimentaban a las vacas</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">para que les fluyeran rica la leche.)</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> Incienso para los dioses,</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 1in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> ungüento para los muertos.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York'; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;"><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></p><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York'; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span lang="ES-TRAD">[De los apuntes de un mercader de Galilea tarde en el reino de Herodes el Grande: “El censo ha sido bueno para el negocio, alabado sea el Señor Dios. Los precios son altos y nadie pregunta de donde viene el dinero. Hoy un artesano villano compró una de mis mulas mejores: una cajita de oro; dos mantas gruesas de lana: una libra de incienso; y pan de trigo, higos desecados, tres botas de vino (para un viaje largo dijo): una libra de mirra.â€]</span></div><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York'; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York';"><span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span></i>- Rafael Jesus Gonzales</div><div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York'; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><i><span lang="ES-TRAD"> </span></i></div></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'New York';"><i> </i></div></div></body></html>