The Spell

The Spell, Isabel-clara Simó, Barcelona, Ed.62, 2009

The first book of poems by Isabel-Clara Simó is not the first public offering of her poetry. Earlier we have read, for example, the poems that accompanied Antoni Miro’s paintings in the sample of 1995 “ABCDARI AZ”. At that time we already know one of the continuous Simon’s poetry, irony, sarcasm, sharp vision of reality. That is The Spell, a book of narrative poems, as well the author warns in the “Preface”, addressing a more immediate reality. We can understand the previous words of the writer as a kind of captatio benevolentiae in line with those who made the Caterina Albert, but no further, we need to talk, often seen in a personal or autobiographical text, the author of sincerity. Although Simon said “I do not, therefore, be a poet,” the reader can find a series of rhyming poems free with a natural rhythm that catches him incessantly. In the book we find the concerns and preoccupations of a writer who has brought a sense of civic and reflective of our society and our culture in every genre that has been engaged, since the prose, drama and now, poetry. Thus, we highlight the updated story of Jesus Christ in a national key in “The crucified” ( “It was very lean / live in a country / colonized [...] Then they went and killed me, / as a terrorist.” (P. 14-15). and captivating, like the article Isabel Clara signed in Avui a day not far distant, but far enough to objectify, the disappearance of Xavier Simó Dalfó … ( “Your death and mine “p.. 22-23). And the tender and enthusiastic poem addressed to Ovidi Montllor (”Animals “, pp. 27-29). It is obvious that the narrative won over, especially in two of the three chapters or paragraphs with which the author has grouped the poems: “Epic” and “Dramatic”. The compositions of the third-second in the book, “Lyric”, become authentic declarations of principles, as we read in “I do not I am you, “our father, one of his best poems:” If you want to be my friend, / learns to love / what is outside / of yourself.”(p. 47). A book to enjoy and reflect, like most of the books of Simó.