Embracing Brazilian Poetry

To celebrate the children's month we decided to post some juvenile poems.
This poem, particularly, is highly misunderstood.
It was not supposed to be childish. In fact "I threw the dick in the cat" is probably the first homossexual poem published in Brazil in the dictatorship period. Its author is unknown.
In this poem, the author tells the story of a man who had his first homossexual experiences with his housekeeper.
In the first lines, he explains that he 'threw' the dick in the cat (in Brazil, cat ['gato'] is a slang for 'handsome man'). After throwing his dick on the handsome man, he saw that the man didn't died, but he screamed. He is detailed, though, about his wife Chica's reaction.
The fact that the author is talking about his housekeeper was not noticed until recent researchers find out that when he emphatically repeats the last syllables of the last words, he says: dona chica-CA, admirou-se-SE,ber-RO. This syllables form the word case…

The actual owner of Brazil and immortal TV show host was once a very active young poet.
Silvyo Saint was acctualy born in a poor family, despite all the legends saying he was conceived from a pile of 1,000,000 cruzeiros bills.
Nobody knows exactly how old he is. Some declare he is already dead and what we see now is a robot repeating pre-programmed routines.
Silvyo's poetry is as mysterious as himself.

Here is a piece he dedicated to his Grandfather, two times champion in Copacabana's Kite Championship.

Note: Don't misundertand Silvyo Saint with adult movie star Silvya Saint. They are not relatives.

Granpa's kite doesn't go up anymore

Granpa's kite doesn't go up anymore
Despite trying very hard, Granpa's was left behind

He tried just another risy
But the kite doesn't give any signy

Granpa's kite doesn't go up anymore
Despite trying very hard, Granpa's was left behind

This poem was sent to us by our good friend Fernando D'Andrea

Poet and artist Beto Barbosa was one fo the greatest exponents of the Axé cultural movement in the late seventies and early eighties. He reached deeply in the conflicts that started the movement to create one of the most emotive portraits of the social condition around the use of lipstick but not caring about hair in this piece made famous by the performance of the now forgotten of Luis Caldas, then one of the most renowed artists and active participant of that cultural movement at that time.


Wire-haired black woman
That doesn't like to comb
When she paasses on the Down of Tube
The big black man starts to scream

Look at the wire-haired black woman
That doesn't like to comb
When she paasses on the Down of Tube
The big black man starts to scream

Catch her up there, catch her up there
What for?
To put lipstick
Of what color?
Purplunt, in the mouth and in the cheek

Catch her up there, catch her up there
What for?
To put lipstick
Of w…

In early 80's, at the city of Savior (capital of Bahia state), a new movement of poetry started to evolve at the Acarajés kiosks near the beach.

These young new artists were interested in bringing bahia's poetry back to the mainstream, to be in some way accessible to the common people.
The task was really difficult for them, due to their formal education in classic poetry.
All their efforts failled at creating something deep, thoughtful and accessible to the common brazilian.

One day, a poet named Bell Marques, frustrated with his creations, had an overdose of Acarjé in a small kiosk near the sea. Dizzy and with halucinations, Bell runned straight to the sea, in a confusion state much of the beach folks called "maluco da porra".
Struggling against the sea waves, Bell saw a vision that would change Bahia's poetry forever: It was Iemanjá, the brazilian goddess herself. She said "Bell my king, take this cassete. It contains all the essence of Bahia needed for your p…

Cohab City (Ancient Portuguese: Complexo Habitacional) is the name of a dialogue by Li'l Grandson of Paula. Most modern scholars agree that it was written mostly during Li'l Grandson's so-called middle period. During more than half of the dialogue, Chambourcy makes guesses at Li'l Grandsons request as to where Danone have come from. These include the names of the Cohab, personified deities (Baby, Ari, Bean, Li'l Claude and Li'l Fab), and many words that describe abstract concepts. The second half of the dialogue is so intense that many believe it to be a separate poem that even have a name: "Vem pra cá". The truth is Li'l Grandson of Paula needed two distinct moments to support his point of view.

I'm arriving at Cohab
To enjoy my crew
hug my friends
and kiss my cinderella

Li'l Grandson!

I'm also arriving!
I won't leave you alone
I'm bringing Baby, Ari, Bean
li'l Claude and li'l Fab

Ask Lino to bring me the Sax
That the party is go…