Duende: The word “duende” refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means “ghost” or “goblin” in Spanish. It is believed to derive from the phrase “dueño de casa,” which means “owner of a house.” The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay “Teoria y Juego del Duende” (“Play and Theory of the Duende”) that duende “is a power and not a behavior . . . a struggle and not a concept.” Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one’s unspoken charm or allure. -Merriam-Webster Dictionary

El Azul Soñador

Aimee Uitermarkt

 

A cup of coffee stares back at me

as I dream about what could be,

and what already is.

 

I wish that I could take photos

that everyone else would see

exactly what I see.

 

I believe that beauty can be found anywhere,

you just have to look for it.

 

Whether it is the way that two colors

dance in synchronization across a page,

or small, beautiful things that remain unseen

by men who wear glasses but are still trying

to see through the dirt in their eyes.

 

I believe that beauty can be found anywhere,

you just have to look for it.

 

For what may appear as one thing to a madman,

may appear as something completely different

to a normal man walking down the street.

 

I wish I could take photos

that everyone else would see

exactly what I see.

 

I wish that they would be as curious

or as awestricken as I am in the moment.

So that they could feel the way that I feel.

So that I would know that I am not alone.

 

Frustration.

Anger.

Annoyance.

Why don’t they understand?

Why don’t they feel the way that I feel?

 

And so the duende shall continue.

And El Azul Soñador will remain silent,

trapped inside of his own mind.

Because, only there does he experience

peace and utter beauty..yet frustration and pain.