Ex-Voto: Poems of Adélia Prado

by Adélia Prado

Poetry. Translated from the Portuguese by Ellen Dore Watson. "Adelia Prado's most recent collection of poems, once more in Ellen Dore Watson's superbly energetic and natural English, is nothing like any poetry I know in our present moment. Her humor, her dancing solidity, her joy in being alive I think back to Chaucer, and the poems of Grace Paley. Prado is similarly voluble, playful, down to earth, and cheerful; and she seems to have an uncannily easy-going, even merry relationship with God and all his family. She has given us a perfectly crystalline ex-voto." Jean Valentine"

Genres: Poetry

138 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Adélia Luzia Prado Freitas, is a Brazilian writer and poet. Started writing at the age of 40 which is relatively late in life for a poet. Although much of her outlook is religious, deeply Catholic, her works are often about the body.
Adélia Prado's poems were translated into English by Ellen Watson and published in a book entitled, The Alphabet in the Park. (Wesleyan University Press, 1990).

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[Ken]

Unusual, yes. Brazilian poet Adélia Prado has written eight volumes of poems, many of the works mystical, some referring to Christ as "Jonathan." Can't say I'm a fan of the "Jonathan" stuff, but it's most prevalent in selections from Knife in the Chest here. The other two books featured in this volume are The Pelican and Oracles of May.

Ex-Voto is published by Tupelo Press, which featured this book on sale for $5 (albeit with $5 shipping, but still far below the listed price of $21). She's one of those "widen your horizons" poets.

Two example poems:


HERALDRY

What grand luxury to be poor by choice,
temptation to be God who has nothing,
immeasurable pride.
Which is why I’m reminded
that many will enter the Kingdom before me:
thieves, bad poets,
and, worse, the flunkeys who praise them.
I’m distressed by the thought
that kings belong in palaces
and workers in factories and warehouses.
A stiff sentence awaits
those who, like me,
are dazzled by a light so bright!
I know a bad line when I see one,
when it shows no sign that it escaped
from the unknown margins of the soul.
Is it pride or joy
that possesses me, unrecognizable,
masquerading in rags?
It can only be love that fuels
the wearisome task of searching for pearls,
tracing a millennial lineage in coats of arms.
No one knows how to talk about the poor.


Nap with Flowers

Ofelia thinks a tempest
is a rainstorm with a slow tempo.
It’s back, the little taptapping
noise in my ear.
Calling someone a cow is combative,
but only the word—cows are good.
I suffer from aristrocraticism,
me of all people, born
in the sticks of Rusty Creek.
I invaded my son once,
if I ever do that again
I’ll give up my tongue.
At the schoolhouse door
a sick boy helps
another up the steps,
we humans are God’s crutches.
There’s no rest for us here,
in exile,
building mobiles in the sand.
Roosters know,
they crow at all the wrong times
to hurry the day along,
newborns scream
god is god is god is
and then there are the dahlias
smelling virginity and death.
The taptapping taps on,
but now it’s like a lullaby:
god is god is god is

[James Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Brazilian poet Adelia Prado is described as a mystic. All but a few of the poems in Ex-Voto, which represents her life work, address and measure her relationship to God and how He impacts her in the pragmatic, provincial life she leads in the interior of Brazil. Some are gentle evocations of nature as reflective of God, some are almost love poems to a Jonathan, who we're told is her name for Jesus. The poems are marked by self-effacing humor and humility. At the same time she's able to recognize the power and love of God, she sees her tears as important as His ocean. In one remarkable poem she admits to and is thankful for being one of His instruments on earth but claims the handwriting is hers.

[bookishlife23 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite book of poems but it was okay. There was some humor in them that was unique and I appreciated some of the language in it. You could go about your life perfectly happy without reading this, but it was ok, and if you like poetry that examines religious practices/ feelings you might like this. It was weird in my opinion but still, worth a read if you like this sort of thing.

[Cindy Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prado is sort of X-rated Christianity lol.

Actually, she's super interesting. Fab forward by Ilya Kaminsky, "It's the Soul that's Erotic."

[Therese L. Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of this book's three parts, "Oracles of May" was my favorite. Its candid voice, details of ordinary life, insights into emotion, and precise word-smithing (in translation) earned the book my rating of four stars.

Most of the poems -- in all three parts -- are delivered in a mode which could be characterized by the title of one of them: "Meditation Verging on a Poem." Or, poetry verging on ecstasy.

As an atheist, I grew impatient with the poet's many mentions of God, saints, the holy Jonathan, et cetera. I tempered my impatience by interpreting Divinity as a metaphor for Multi-Universes. Perhaps I am too prideful to read this poet's work with sufficient humility.

One humbling zinger from "Rebuke of Pride" --
"Whatever reveals itself immediately,
/... / ... /
sneers at the poet
busy wiping his texticles:"

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. These poems were terrific and hard hitting. Her use of images burst in and around each poem. Almost every one of them packed a kick. There is much to learn from these poems - about life, about writing, about the world. She opened my eyes. There is a really difficult thing buried in many of these poems - it is her reference to “Jonathan.” I thought for awhile it was a stand-in for God or Jesus. But “Jonathan” (who she calls “her boyfriend”) is a spiritual lover (as I understand it). Very interesting. I’m very glad I read these poems. I’ll keep them close by.