I need to read more poetry...

... in fact, everyone should read more poetry. I think we'd have a better world if more people read poetry.

I'm going to teach my "next to last" class in a few minutes. The almost last class in the very first literature class I get to teach in my own language, of the literature of "my people." I don't know if the course was that great, but I'm glad we're ending with poetry.

I need to read more poetry. I bought three anthologies in São Paulo's fascinating, sprawling used-book stores, we call them sebos, a weird name, since "sebo" means excessive fat (in people's skin or animal fat too). I bought Mário de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira (my favorite!!) and Carlos Drummond de Andrade. But I need more. Much much more! Ferreira Gullar is glorious!

Sigh...

I also need to write more poetry. When I read it, my entire being yearns for it, both reading and writing, but the latter is very difficult. Because when you really know literature, when you really know and love art, calling yourself an artist is a very difficult, nearly impossible, thing to do.

If there's one thing I've always wanted in my life, ever since I was thirteen years old, was to be...

... dare I say it? It's so hard!

... a poet.