1936-1940 Asturias

1912-1936 1936-1940 1940-1950 1950-1966 1966-1973 1973-1979

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: WAR AND MORAINA

When Civil War begins, Celso Emilio is called to join up with the youth people of his age and he is destined to Asturias´ front. When the war finishes in Asturias, he is destined to Transmissions, in Telefonica´s building of Oviedo. There, by chance, he meets Moraima, whom he will marry in the future and have four children: Luis, Xosé María, Isabel and Xabier.

Once he is on leave, he goes to Celanova and criticizes the new regime in a tavern and a neighbour denounces him to the local authorities. So, he stays four days and three nights in a cell of San Rosendo´s monastery.
The military governor of Ourense orders his execution, but it isn’t fulfilled thanks to the familiar influence. In this moment he writes his famous poem “Longa noite de pedra”, which will be the title of the homonymous book.
At the end of the war he comes back to Celanova and he teaches in his village with Velo Mosquera, and starts to study Law and Teaching.

Related poem: Agosto 1972

A min non me importa
que o pazo da morte estea ahí enfrente.
A.S.

Sabes, Moraima,
a morte é unha soia criatura,
pro ten moitas caretas diferentes
e gadañas ubicuas.

Un día olléina,
con figura de peixe,
nadando pola febre
dun neno enfermo.
Dempóis trocóuse
nun escuro trebón
agallopando a chaira.

Vestida de mapoula
vina outra vez poñendo
letras macabras
nos muros brancos.
Viva eu, escribía,
viva eu, escramaba a morte mesma.

E nun vello mosteiro miréina
retratada de vampiro
nos ollos centinelas que gardaban
a seiscentos prisoeiros.

Co nome de Xosefa
vina outra vez
pedindo o sangue
dos inocentes
pra apagar o seu odio
de Némesis ouscena.

E voltéi a topala
nas Asturias de Oviedo
vestida de soldado,
disfrazada de lóstrego,
envolta en poo e chumbo,
asubiando unha estrana melodía.

E tornéi a mirala
nas rúas de Caracas,
cando a terra tremeu
con espasmos xeolóxicos
e a cidade bradaba
coma besta ferida.

A derradeira vez
que me atopéi con ela
foi dentro dun Volkswagen
–¿lémbraste?–
pro esa é outra historia.