by Luís Filipe Silva Translation and introductory note by Rex Nielson
Luís Filipe Silva (1969-), is a Portuguese writer, editor, and translator known primarily for his contributions to Portuguese SF. He has authored novels, including AGalxMente, initially published in two volumes: “Cidade da Carne” and “Vinganças” (LeYa-Caminho, 1993), along with numerous articles and short stories. Most recently, he co-authored with João Barreiros the award-winning novel Terrarium (Saída de Emergência, 2016). He has organized and edited several collections of Portuguese science fiction, including Vaporpunk—Relatos Steampunk Publicados sob as Ordens de Suas Majestades (with Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro) and Os Anos de Ouro da Pulp Fiction Portuguesa (with Luís Corte Real). His collection of stories and poems O Futuro à Janela was published in 1991 and was awarded the Prémio Caminho de Ficção Científica. The poem “Winged Spirit” occupies the final entry in Silva’s volume O Futuro à Janela.
~
for
ever and the earth
… of wandering for ever and the earth … Who owns the earth? Did we
want the earth that we should wander on it? Did we need the earth that we were
never still upon it? Whoever needs the earth shall have the earth: he shall be
still upon it, he shall rest within a little place, he shall dwell in one small
room for ever.
(Thomas
Wolfe)
deliverance
weight two-thousand years fall on me unstable instant final test for the development of all societies such a brief moment, such an important moment
roar the motors roar on my back spitting tempests of H2-O2 liquids I mount the thunder of the skies I tear I penetrate the infinite with steps that are not mine I cross over the barrier I bear a child in my womb it’s called Humanity and I am its dream
“…the confirmation reaches us in this precise moment: the
transporter has entered unscathed into the circumterrestrial orbit. The
astronavigators inform us that in half an hour we will be in contact with the Kuan-yin
to disembark the final shipment of colonists and matrices, and may leave in…”
the travellers
Matrices: They reduced me to the size of a chip my soul between confined walls; I left my daughter, abandoned, on the earth. Daughter of a poor mother and an unknown father, at birth, they left me to fate: two children, kitchen and husband. But my dreams were different, and they took me to a distant horizon, so beloved.
Colonists: New life, another beginning, said the ad I believed: I allowed myself to be cryogenically frozen Don’t criticize me, I just wanted happiness I hope to find it on this side
Crew: We keep the ship in order during the eternal flight in this sea; we are thousands, but courage is required during the years of travel, since we will die on arrival.
Cyberhumanoid pilot: I am the pilot of this Hyperjumper I abandoned humanity in exchange for contemplating the life of the stars with eyes of a worshipper I have no body, but I am more than a matrix; I have no soul, but I am more than human. Why did I choose? I don’t know but I cannot go back. I fly cryogenically frozen matrices and robots to their assigned destiny but I am also condemned.
flux
two thousand years is a heartbeat in
the heart of eternity
I laugh at days, at moments; the journey ended. in his berth, the great watchman can sleep. tell him that
the little swallow has found its nest.
arrival
There is no goal We run and we run and we run and we have no place to stop On the planet we disembark and soon find ourselves displaced A Sun that died with the haste of dying A grandchild-planet angry at living alone We flee A thousand-year break is a short time to rest And so we progress
destination
and now that we have power our enemy is different our anger is certain our spear is direct our desire to live is ours our power to win is ours
our enemy has a name that fills the empty space that paints black the white of the stars that erases the movements of the comets and reduces the will of atoms; that dulls the celestial fire that destabilizes the electrical current that gives hunger to those who thirst and cold to those who hunger. our enemy has a name and the name is ENTROPY!
unity
we are One now united under suns that have gone out human robots, peran and sembidian llamas and all the other Intelligences. we all made the journey and during the journey we became the unity. the cry of glory courses through us the stream of communication the delicacy of comprehension lift us behold our history behold our victory
rebirth
To the dying Universe we cry LIVE
AND the atoms AND the photons AND the laws AND the void Obeyed. Bang once more! We vanquish entropy.
Speculative engineering shakes things up in the ancient world, by Austin Scarberry.
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