Avelina da Silveira was born in Huambo, Cuanza Sul, Angola.  Although born in an overseas Portuguese province, she is from an Azorean family and lived in the islands.  She has published various works of poetry and is represented in many anthologies.  She makes her home in Canada, where her poetry has also focused on the immigrant experience and on bicultural and bilingual issues.

Insularly

Insularly

man, rock, froth, lava,

insularly we are here.

Man trying to be a peninsula

in the salty froth that bathes him;

the cooled rock,

for one day it was lava,

tumbles like a warning

to those who demanded to make bridges from her.

Insularly the wait harmonized

(eyes aimed in a static horizon)

the ivy that protects the fountains

also covers the sky with white lactic.

Insularly we are here,

until from the lavas interior

a glowing bird splits in a flight,

a rock transforms into bridges

the man covers with froth

and, peninsularly,

from his fingers fountains are born. 

Translated from the Portuguese by Diniz Borges

In On a Leaf of Blue (bilingual anthology) University of California, 2003

 Insularmente

Insularmente

homem, pedra, espuma, lava,

insularmente aqui estamos.

O homem a procura de ser península

na espuma salgada que o banha;

a pedra arrefecida,

pois lava um dia foi,

queda-se como aviso

aos que dela procuram fazer pontes.

Insularmente humanizou-se a espera

(olhos fitos num horizonte estático)

a hera que protege as fontes

cobre também o céu de branco láctico.

Insularmente aqui estamos,

até que do ventre da lava

rompa em voo uma ave rubra,

se transforme a pedra em pontes

que o homem cubra de espuma

e, peninsularmente,

dos seus dedos nasçam fontes.