Roses for Ofelia (Rosas para Ofelia)

Ofelia Villamizar Buitrago was born on January 22, 1921 in Villa Sucre, district of Arboledas, Colombia. She belonged to the Journalists Association and the Academy of History of Norte de Santander (of which my father was also a member). Ofelia received countless awards, including one for merit as the Mayor of the municipality of Durania, the Legion of Mary (Pamplona), one from the Institute of Culture and Fine Arts of Norte de Santander and the title of Outstanding Woman of the Citizens' Union of Colombia (1981). She won first prize with her poem Torcoroma in the open competition of poetry for Colombia’s magazine Cromos and a national award in Zipaquirá (Cundinamarca) with the poem Admirabilis Mater.

She was also a finalist in the international competition Carabela de Plata in Barcelona (Spain). The Spanish-American anthology magazine published her works Sterile branch and One day the letter said. The Ministry of Education of Colombia published her book Jars of clay. She died on January 30, 1991 in Cúcuta (Colombia).

From my Dad’s book Commemorations (Conmemoraciones).

Roses for Ofelia (Rosas para Ofelia)

The heart that knows what

my thought wants and my hand writes

builds and old formula

and gives me, to exalt in Parnassian verse,

your sweet voice that my excitement

sees as victorious over oblivion and wasted time

rebelliousness or song or Miserere

or complain or prayer for the brother.

Laborious bee, your accent

goes very far poured out of old wineskins

the same in sorrows as in joy.

From my rumourer loneliness

you received red roses to keep

in the gardens of your poetry.

To Ofelia Villamizar Buitrago