The great drought decimated the animals,
forcing them to survive on only a few drops of water
found here and there,
but one fateful day
a sudden storm
created a huge puddle,
which has become a fountain of life.
An ant is the first to find the fountain
but it has no time to drink
because a monkey orders it to leave.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
And forces it to run away.
The monkey gets ready to drink
when a dog arrives.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
The monkey quickly disappears
but the dog doesn’t manage to get anything to drink either
because a wolf approaches.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
The dog flees
but before the wolf can drink,
a lion interrupts it.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
So the wolf flees, too
and when the lion is about to drink,
a rhinoceros shouts:
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
Before the rhinoceros can taste the water,
an elephant arrives.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
The rhinoceros vanishes
and when the elephant
draws its trunk near to the surface of the water,
the ant who first discovered the fountain stops it.
“Go away.
This fountain is mine because I’m the strongest.”
Elephants
don’t like ants
and so the elephant runs away.
When the ant,
even thirstier than before,
is just about to take a sip,
the monkey suddenly appears
and the story starts all over again
with the same animals,
none of which manages to drink any water
and this goes on
for days and days
until every last one of them
dies of thirst.

If I saw you just once a week
I would love you for the rest of my life,
if I saw you twice a week
I would love you for half of my life,
if I saw you every other day
I would love you every other day,
if I saw you every day
every day
I’d think we would be better off
if we just ended things.

Tell me again
about when I was born
and you dyed
your hair pink
so that everybody would know
that you were the happiest
woman in the world.
Tell me
about when you couldn't
stop smiling
because you knew
that I would be there waiting
when you came home from work.
Tell me
about when I called you “Mum”
for the first time
and I fell asleep
saying it over and over,
even the next morning
as soon as I opened my eyes.
Tell me again
about the day they told you
that there was something wrong with me,
that I would never walk
and that I would be
confined to a bed forever.
Tell me
about when I told you
that I didn’t care about the pain
because I always had you with me.
Tell me
about the times when I couldn’t even follow conversations
because of all the things they were giving me
so that I wouldn’t suffer
and the best thing in my life
was being able to look at you
and holding your hand tight.
Tell me again
about all those people
who say that we have to bear
whatever God gives us
but then take pills
for even the mildest headaches.
Tell me again
about the day I made up my mind
that I wasn’t born to spend my life in a bed
and that I was through with waking up
just to keep sleeping.
And tell me just one more time
about when I called you “Mum”
for the last time,
when I fell asleep
and I couldn’t
stop smiling,
taking the warmth of your hand
with me.

Today is a nice day
to die from love.
The moon has your smile
the stars have your light
the sea has your voice
the wind, your breath
the roses, your scent
and I

have you.

It’s good to know
that the sky has no limit
and that it’s impossible
to count the stars,
that questions
can have an answer
and that every answer
will always be a question.
It’s good to know
that in the beginning
there was nothing
but that nothing
is ever a beginning.
It’s wonderful to open my eyes
and to know that You exist,
looking at me
and discovering You within me.
I don't want to know
anything else about You
nor could I pretend to know.
It’s wonderful to feel like
a tiny grain of sand
on your mysterious shores.

Where time never passes
and night is always day
and day is always night,
where clouds
doze on the horizon
and every grain of sand
has the colours of a rainbow,
there the moon dances
chasing the stars
while the wind lifts up
its silver gown.
The lights in the sky
turn the sea into a mirror
into which the stars and the moon plunge
to re-emerge and soar.
I left my eyes
on the Isle of the Dancing Moon
but wherever I go
I take it with me in my heart
so I’ll never forget

to dream.

It won’t be the desert
that burns my core
until a sole tear
trickles out of my eye
and dampens my heart.
It won’t be a thunder storm
that sweeps away my dreams
because just one tree will be enough
to hold me tight
and keep me from flying away
nor will the storm ever be able
to drown my soul
because I have an ocean
full of rocks
to which I can cling
but just one day without you
would be enough
to make me afraid of life.