Soledades [English translation]

They are right

that happiness,

at least the one in capital letters,

it does not exist.

Ah, but if it would exist in lower case

would be similar to ours, on short,

pre-loneliness ...

after joy comes loneliness

after fulfillment comes loneliness

after love comes loneliness

I know, it's an unfortunate prejudice

but the truth is that in those moments

everyone feels

alone in the world

without support

without excuses

without hugs

without resentment

without the things that unite or separate ...

and essentially that is loneliness,

you don't even have self-pity

the objective data is as follows:

there are four inches of silence

between your hands and mine

a limit of unspoken words

between your lips and my lips

and something that shines so sad

between your eyes and mine

of course, loneliness doesn't come alone...

if you look over the withered shoulder

of our loneliness

a long and compact impossibility will be seen

a simple respect for the third or fourth

this inconvenience of being good

after joy

after fulfillment

after love

loneliness comes

I agree,

but

what will come after

loneliness?

sometimes I don't feel

so lonely

if I imagine

rather that

beyond my loneliness

and yours,

you are here again

even if you ask yourself:

what will come after

loneliness?

• Artist:Mario Benedetti