Poems, Films, and Poor Spanish

It’s funny how after an emotionally exhausting day, just mere moments of discussing a new film project can bring a smile to my face.  I won’t get into the gritty details of just how emotionally draining life has been recently but suffice it to say that I was shocked to end the day on such a positive note.

The conversation led me to revisit one of my favorite poems, originally written in (broken) Spanish, and translated for your convenience below.  I’m not one to toot my own horn, (or maybe I am but not before complaining that the horn isn’t as good as that guy‘s horn) but I happen to love this poem.  I feel that its imagery can be manipulated and turned into a beautiful film.  I believe this poem will serve as inspiration for my next short film and I can only hope to be blessed with a cast and crew as wonderful as I had on my last project (“Happy Hour”- Coming soon to a computer near you!).

If you’ve never seen it before, here’s a preview:

Hasta La Primavera

Las flores están creciendo
Los pajaros están cantando.
El sol es tan brillante.
Yo bienvenido la primavera y
Doy mi despedida al amor.
Mi corazón está rompiendo
Pero estoy sonríendo
Como quiere la gente.
No hay tristeza en la primavera.
No se permite.

Hace una mes que tu me marchaste
Y no hay un minuto que no estoy pensando en ti.
Las flores están creciendo.
Los pajaros están cantando.
El sol es tan brillante.

Tan brillante que no puedo ver nada.
Mi mente, mi corazón y tambien mis ojos
Solo te pueden ver.
Estoy ciega a cause de ti.

Yo quiero ver las flores.
Yo quiero oír los pajaros.
Yo quiero ver la luz.
Yo quiero sentirme la primavera.

Tu has robado mi corazón.
Mi amor.
Mi vida.
No te extraño.
Yo me extraño.

Extraño mi amor de la primavera.
No te extraño más.
Ahora, yo te puedo dar mi despedida.
Ahora tengo que decir hola a mi amor pasado.
La primavera.

Las flores están creciendo
Los pajaros están cantando.
El sol es tan brillante
Y yo puedo ver toda.

—————————————————————————————————–

The flowers are growing
The birds are singing
The sun is so bright.
I welcome the spring and
Bid farewell to love.
My heart is breaking,
But I am smiling
As the people want.
There is no sadness in the spring.
It is not allowed.

It has been one month since you left me
And not a minute goes by that I do not think of you.
The flowers are growing.
The birds are singing.
The sun is so bright.

So bright that I can see nothing.
My mind, my heart and my eyes
Can see only you.
I am blind because of you.

I want to see the flowers.
I want to her the birds.
I want to see the light.
I want to feel the spring.

You have stolen my heart.
My love.
My life.
I don’t miss you.
I miss myself.

I miss my love of the spring.
I will miss you no more.
Now, I can bid you farewell.
Now I must say hell to my past love.
The spring.

The flowers are growing.
The birds are singing.
The sun is so bright
And I can see everything.

My Greatest Fear (And Why I Think It Should Be Your’s Too)

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the ducks are bathing in the pool, and my dog is in the yard digging her way to China.  It’s just one of those perfect days, the kind that makes you want to realize your dreams.

For me, it is also the day that makes me very aware of my greatest fear.  A fear that I believe the rest of the world need share with me.

My greatest fear… is never reaching my potential.  I am terrified at the thought that I may never live the life I had imagined, and while I am aware that nothing will be as you’ve planned, I can’t accept not achieving some semblance of success.  My definition of success may be different than others’.  I may very well settle into a completely unpleasant desk job and eventually work my way up the ladder, to the top of that very same unpleasant company, but is that success?

Success to me is doing what you love every day.  Success to me, is going to work and truly believing in what it is that you do. Mind you, I am not entirely deluded.  Not entirely.  I know that work is work and will not always be fun nor will it be easy but I believe that unless you appreciate your job, you will never be happy.    Actually, I should stop using the word “you” because as I said, this is my definition of success.  I have many, many dreams, only some of which are related to my career goals but our time on this earth is short and I cannot allow that time to be wasted.

We were all born with certain gifts, certain desires, and certain needs.  I firmly believe that you should follow your heart and be true to yourself.  I beg you to share my fear of wasted talent.  Don’t settle for less than what you are worth.  Is it scary to follow your dreams?  You can bet your ass it is!  It is terrifying!  I don’t want to be 80 years old, looking back on my life and thinking “I wish I had done this..or that.”  I want to look back and say, “Damn, I did good.  I wouldn’t change a thing.”  Then I plan to sit back, sipping my wine on my balcony, overlooking the beauty that is Florence.

Never stop searching for what fulfills you.  This life is full of hidden treasures, and if you settle into a routine, you will never find them.

As for me, I will continue to dream big and I won’t stop until those dreams become reality.

For now, I leave you with some of my favorite inspirational quotes:

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.– William Shakespeare

If you can dream it, you can do it.- Walt Disney

If you’ve got a talent, protect it.- Jim Carrey

It’s always too early to quit.- Norman Vincent Peale

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.- Thomas Jefferson