Some time ago, my friend, Elizabeth, posted an old photograph of a man sitting on a chair with a small donkey. Intrigued by the tenderness of the man clutching a donkey in his lap, I asked her about it. She revealed that the photograph was that of a writer, a poet named Juan Ramón Jiménez (Mantecón). I had to learn more.
Jiménez was a Spanish poet born in 1881 and who died in 1958. His most famous quote is as follows: "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." One of his works is a set of very short prose poems that evoke the author’s early life in Andalusia, Spain, entitled Platero y yo (“Platero and I”). According to Wikipedia, the eponymous donkey Platero
"remains a symbol of tenderness, purity and naiveté, and is used by the author as a means of reflection about the simple joys of life, memories, and various characters and their ways of life."I ordered a copy of the book in English.
The book soon became an obsession. And the imagery that Jiménez conjures deserved a backdrop more fantastical than that of my kitchen. Therefore, this summer I began to travel frequently to the schodne vody, an equally fantastic location where Osturňa's own little waterfall is located, with my dog and book. On leisurely days, we would sometimes visit the waterfall twice. There, it was safe for Poochini to explore the world on his own without the need for supervision, while I could lose myself in the rich and complex prose of Jiménez’s writings.
It became an almost daily occurrence for us. Over time, we became friends with the shepherds who roamed the fields with their vast and obedient flocks, as well as with their shepherding dogs. It felt at times as though Poochini and I were mere extensions of Jiménez’s imagination.
The book is not long, and each prose poem is usually less than a page. But the words are dense and the imagery evocative, requiring several reads and significant thought.
This book is very dangerous. The scenes Jiménez paints with words can cause one to suddenly explode in a belly laugh or to slowly melt into tearful sobs. It is for this reason it is preferable to read the book when only your dog is nearby. Otherwise, it could prove quite embarrassing.
After nearly two months, I am still only half-way through the book. But there is no plot pulling me towards the next page or chapter, only the musings of a man and a donkey living in Andalusia and tugging at my heart.