I was intrigued by the Brazilian Dia da Saudade, which was roughly translated as “Longing for What is Absent Day.” So I went in search of a poem which might illustrate the feeling, and found “Before” by Ada Limón, which I hope is true to the feeling of Saudade.

_________________________________

Ada Limón (1976 – ) is the author of Lucky Wreck (Autumn House Press, 2006), The Carrying (Milkweed Editions, 2018) and Bright Dead Things (Milkweed Editions, 2015), which was a finalist for the National Book Award. She splits her time between Lexington, Kentucky, and her home town, Sonoma, California.

_________________________________

To read Ada Limón’s poem “Before” please click here:

_________________________________

Before

by Ada Limón

No shoes and a glossy
red helmet, I rode
on the back of my dad’s
Harley at seven years old.
Before the divorce.
Before the new apartment.
Before the new marriage.
Before the apple tree.
Before the ceramics in the garbage.
Before the dog’s chain.
Before the koi were all eaten
by the crane. Before the road
between us, there was the road
beneath us, and I was just
big enough not to let go:
Henno Road, creek just below,
rough wind, chicken legs,
and I never knew survival
was like that. If you live,
you look back and beg
for it again, the hazardous
bliss before you know
what you would miss.

“Before”  © 2015 by Ada Limón