Small Contradictions of the City

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Literature · Subcategory: Literary fragments · Year: 1971 · Authors: Juan Pérez Delgado "Nijota"

One of the most influential authors in the best humorous poetry of this century in the Canary Islands, Juan Pérez Delgado "Nijota" (La Laguna, 1898-Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1973), wrote for more than forty years a great number of verses and articles published in the local press. They were compiled in a book titled Verso y prosa , published in 1971, in which we find a humorous poem about the names of some streets and neighbourhoods of Santa Cruz. Titled "Small Contradictions of the City", Nijota, with his fine humour, wrote the following:

«It seems a little absurd,

although no one cares,

that a family from the south 

lives on North Street.

 

Yesterday poor Eduvigis

moaned very sadly,

at the door of her house

in the La Alegría neighbourhood.

 

A doctor friend of mine,

a man of great restlessness,

visited yesterday three patients

in the La Salud neighbourhood.

 

"Poor Doña Ascensión

is inconsolable.

"And on which street does she live?"

"On Consolación Street."

 

A very clever myopic woman

got on the bus,

and said to the conductor:

"I’m getting off at Buenavista."

Walking with Amelia

I asked her: "Do you love me?"

And she answered no

In the middle of Yes Street.

 

This morning Dolores, the errand girl,

told me

that she noticed a bad smell

on Las Flores Street.

 

My dark-haired girl looked at me

with infinite sweetness

last night, as we crossed

Amargura Street.

 

And, to finish, let us ask

at most one question:

Why isn’t the Fire Station

on Smoke Street?»

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