argia.eus
INPRIMATU
Chronicle against presbyopia
  • On May 22, Edu Zelaieta gave a special stage Presbizia helped us (Pamiela, 2024) to present his last book of poems. He has visited the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca in Vitoria-Gasteiz, within the poetry festival Poetak in May, in the capital of Alavesa.
Cira Crespo @maternalias 2024ko maiatzaren 23a

The stage is located next to the plaza, opposite the Optics of Mountain portal. An ideal place to start because it fits perfectly with the title of the book and those that are counted in it. Because Zelaieta tells us about our ways of seeing and looking, and the problems and potentialities of our ways of seeing. But space is also appropriate for the relationship between Mendia optics and book language. Monte Optika is a symbolic site for the assertion of Basque language rights. A small break in the center of the vitorian capital.

We can say that Edu Zelaieta has perhaps used this singular scenario in the same way that he uses the quotes that appear in all his poems; at the beginning of each poem there is a quote that serves to anchor and launch the reading. Similarly, the Mendia optics portal scenario for the public: an anchor, a starting point.

But there have been more metaphors. It was a rainy afternoon, and at first we questioned whether the small tent installed by the City of Vitoria is going to be enough, if we are not going to end the soup soup made. But we have decided to go ahead with the presentation, and the small tent, barely, has resisted it and we do not get wet. Not only that, the refuge has been filled, and those who arrived later in the tent must be kept under umbrella. To minimize the slips of the cold, people have come to each other and we have all carefully shut this presentation book. And then Edu Zelaieta said, "And if this is not poetry, what is it?" And yes, that great Basque group, in the centre of Vitoria, in constant rain, is it not poetry? Isn't it metaphorical?

Despite the doubts, despite the doubts, the poetic recital has started promptly. After the lectern have been Edu Zelaieta and Itziar Rekalde and what they have offered us has gone beyond mere poetic declamation and the viewers have played in poetic games related to vision and ways of seeing. For example, paper goggles have been distributed, replacing crystals graduated by coloured celophanes. In this way we have shown that each eye can have its own vision.

Head of optics Mendia has also appeared for a moment in a humble setting. The appearance has been subtle and, once again, poetic: it has placed Edu Zelaieta as one of the optical glasses to assess the view of the user. Another exciting moment has been the one the author has read to his mother the letter of Mother translated into Spanish to understand it, and again the metaphor has happened to us.

The afternoon of May 22 has also served us well to understand the meaning of Local Poet poetry in the book. In the center of Vitoria-Gasteiz, having a poet site means filling a small tent above the climatology, despite the nasty afternoon. And enjoy enjoying and enjoying a very poetic place.

Presbyopia has helped us, as in the book, because all the images, the skin, all the mentions, all the gestures, as they are symbolic, have a meaning beyond what we see, in the center of Vitoria, we have become a pretty metaphor.