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POLISHED WORDS BY FELIPE REINALDO MENTZ “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” – Albus Dumbledore (J. K. Rowling) “Allow me your verses, and I’ll make you poetry.” – Felipe Mentz NOVEMBER 2022

FOREWORD I remember that day very well. Just went to the bathroom like any other time. Turned on the shower like any other day. Hung my towel on the wall while sprinkles of hot water started to dance in the air and warm up the room. I like how the water helps me think. Actually, I usually get some pretty deep thoughts while in the shower. That day wouldn’t be different. However, it was: my thoughts went deeper than ever before, and I realized that is no such thing as doubting yourself. I felt capable of doing anything. Anything. As I stepped in the shower, music was going hard, fighting the bathroom’s walls. I was in my own world. Surrounded by music, touched by water and tamed by thoughts, that was my safe place. I always thought to myself that the only way to keep sanity around is to have my own moments of craziness, so sessions like this one helped me a lot putting my ideas together. On that day specifically, though, I saw my neurons taking my ideas by the hand and taking them to the dance floor. I heard my mind singing this beautiful melody while they danced gently and smoothly around my brain. I was a young man about to change the world, and I knew that. But during that shower session, I saw it. I saw it happening. I saw greatness in front of me, waiting on me. I saw myself on stage, doing what I love. I saw communication at its best. I saw my own ideas reaching other people’s minds. Then I saw people falling in love with my point of view and singing along my

words. I saw people I was about to meet. I saw places I was about to visit. I saw memories I was about to collect. I felt great. I wanted to start right away. I wanted to step out of the water and go chase these memories. Go make every single one of those thoughts come true. “Wait,” I told to myself, “we don’t need to rush it. As long as we walk towards them, they are also going to come towards us. Keep doing what you’re doing, and the right ones will come.” I was right, there was no need to rush, because they were coming. That was the day the game changed.

INDEX 1. DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF HOPE 2. THE THINGS I LOST 3. ODE TO MY SUNSET 4. AN APOLOGIZE LETTER TO MY BROTHER 5. THIS IS A 6-WORD LITTLE GAME 6. CHANGING 7. A SONNET TO HUMANITY 8. THE DAY I MOVED TO MY HOMETOWN 9. A LOVELY CLICHÉ ENDING 10. THANK YOU

DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF HOPE ho∙pe [hōp] n. 1 feeling of expectation; 2 desire of something to happen; 3 trust; 4 the “wanting” of something to be the case. “I would feed it every day / Like raising a pig for slaughter / Planning to find a way / To finally replace it / Bringing the future into the past / My dream into reality / As long as it last / We are going to live for it. I hope is a four-letter word.

THE THINGS I LOST My favorite jacket in my very first track meet in elementary school. A tiny brown bag with all the coins I had saved for months which equaled at least twenty bucks. The bottle from Harry Potter special collection that I left on a bench at the shopping mall while I waited for my mom outside the store. 50 dollars that mysteriously disappeared from the side pocket of my backpack; even though I suspected of one of my classmates there was nothing to be done; never seen it again. The vision that I was the center of the world, at around 12. My favorite jacket, again, some years later; it took me a while to realize I didn’t have it anymore, so I didn’t even know where to look for it. The keys of our apartment, along with my parents’ trust. The worry about what others think of me, whenever I started to realize I must do it for me and not anybody else.

ODE TO MY SUNSET My Sunset. You may think I am selfish for calling it mine. I have many friends I call mine that never have time for me, and this one is always there when I need it. My Sunset. I can’t take you with me, but everywhere I go you are there. Same time, same spot. I’m sorry for the days I didn’t show up, but I hope you understand for the days I waited, and you were hiding behind the clouds. My Sunset. Thank you for all the times you made me realize life. All the times you made my questions obvious. All the times you gave me tranquility because you showed me I am bigger than the obstacles in my way. My Sunset. You helped me go through the rough days. You gave me hope and serenity to understand a new day would rise. You promised you’d be there tomorrow to talk to me again, and you always were. My Sunset. I shared some of the best memories ever with you and I’m thankful for that. Just know I will always be here appreciating the way you hide behind the horizon to let the night take place, just like I know I can count on you during moment of darkness. My Sunset, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

AN APOLOGIZE LETTER TO MY BROTHER I’m so sorry I let you down. I never thought this would happen. I have been thinking of many ways I could have avoided it, and all I wanted now was a chance to go back and do it differently. I hope it doesn’t affect our relationship and doesn’t change what you think of me. I was indeed in a big need. It will never happen again. One more time, I’m sorry, brother, for waking you up because we had run out of toilet paper.

THIS IS A 6-WORD LITTLE GAME While it lights, The forever brightening Sun Which fills up the Sky, Don’t you pity the Moon, For what it’s now shadow Shall, eventually, eclipse. Once heavens eclipse Bringing a new light, Again, don’t forget the shadow And how it makes the Sun,- Printing the day on the Moon, Brighten the night Sky. Eventually Sky Will bring an eclipse For which the Moon, Challenging light, Should turn the Sun Itself into shadow.

And under the same shadow, On the same printed Sky, The turn will be Sun’s To lay down the eclipse Denying the light To an Earth covered Moon. Moon, Sometimes shadow, Sometimes light, Dancing in the Sky Maybe not eclipsing But reflecting the Sun. Sun, So different from the Moon, But fated to the same eclipse, Where it never shadows, Sometimes skies, And always lights.This light from the Sun Might fill the Sky, or just the Moon, But shall not shadow before a new eclipse.

CHANGING To change or not to change That’s the question Whether it’s Shakespeare’s or mine It doesn’t really matter What matters is that to change One must overcome What’s in the past, Must understand Many different futures, I mean possible futures, And pick the one That suits the present But not only, Because changing requires An enormous effort To shift directions To reallocate your energy It is like saying goodbye To an old friend That for whatever reason Is not there anymore Or throwing away that shirt That no longer fits But your selfish little mind Does not want to change.

A SONNET TO HUMANITY The wildest of the ever-living beasts Its feats hovering high upon the sky It ruins, impairs, consumes, slays, defeats All other possibilities of life. Everything alright before it came Doom’s now here, and clutter’s all around The world, indeed, will never be the same Even if this beast is taken down. My prowess, though, is quite fascinating I make of life a big party, which all can enjoy You might not dance, but please, give it a try. I brought this place to an edge, dominating The edge of chaos, but also the edge of joy Can’t imagine this world without mankind.

THE DAY I MOVED TO MY HOMETOWN It was a sunny Sunday morning in Porto Alegre, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the very south of Brazil. The smell of loud cars and dirty background noise and the sound of stinking busy streets filled up the air just like any other usual day. However, things were about to change. The driver I had called earlier that week should be here any moment. It was already 11.02am according to my watch, but the traffic can get pretty crazy in these cities, so I wasn’t very worried about it. Two large suitcases were sitting next to me on the sidewalk of Getulio Vargas Avenue. Behind me, the mostly empty apartment I had just cleared was looking sadly at me through the window. The creaking joint of that window was driving me crazy. I didn’t know if the people passing by could also hear that noise or if it was just inside my head. Anyway, I would miss that place. However, something new was waiting on me. The fresh dentistry college diploma in my right hand assured me I was doing the right thing. Later that day I would find out that such adventure was not exactly the one I was thinking about, but it would turn out taking me somewhere anyway. The drive took forever. The dirt road that led to the country was nothing but sinuous and bumpy. The driver was not a very outspoken person, so I talked to my thoughts for most of the way. In my hands I had a little note with the name of this little town called “Bom Principio”, a colony of German folks that had migrated to the south of Brazil in the 1820s. During my last semester in the Dentistry School, one of my professors had told me that these little villages were a great opportunity for us, because most of them still didn’t have a dentist. As soon as I graduated, I started to wrap things up and take care of some unfinished business in Porto Alegre and planned my “trip” to the countryside. My professor had given me the name of this specific

town and also the contact of a friend of him that lived there, an old mate who served with him in the army. I had already gone over all these changes that were occurring in my life several times during that drive. I had also rehearsed my introduction to those German folks quite a few times. I was just too nervous and annoyed. I couldn’t stay in that car much longer. - Can you tell me how much road we still have ahead of us? – I asked plainly, trying not to sound arrogant. - Hmm… At least another hour, that’s for sure – I don’t think I could handle it. I would probably have a panic attack before we made it all the way up there. - Can we make a stop, please? I need to use the restroom and stretch my legs a little bit – the bumps on the road were really driving me crazy. I felt like my stomach had already flipped around itself five times since we left. - Sure, we can, - he said – there’s a little town probably less than five minutes from here. We can stop over there. “Perfect,” I thought. The idea of stopping in an actual place was amazing, because if we were to stop in the middle of nowhere it wouldn’t have helped me feeling better. After a couple minutes I started to see a little village in the distance. As we got closer, I realized it was actually a very small and charming town. The driver parked by the train station, which seemed to be the center of that area. There was a nice park next it, where some kids were playing soccer. Across the street, a tiny restaurant that looked like it might be the only place to eat, because, despite the doubtful look and conditions, it was pretty crowded. As soon as I got out of the car, these two gentlemen that were talking to each other close enough to notice my arrival turned their attention to me.

- What brings this young curious city man to interior lands? – apparently, putting my best suit on ratted my urban vibes out. I mean, I didn’t want to squeeze it in the suitcase, right? - I am on my way to this city called “Bom Principio”. I am a graduated dentist about to start off my career. - And you are going to Bom Principio? Do you speak German? - German? Should I? - Well, good luck if you don’t. - Sorry, Sir. What do you mean? - You are gonna have a rough time dealing with them. Portuguese is not really their thing, if you know what I mean. You would have great opportunities over here, though. You could make your name in my city, and we would give you our best to help you succeed. Not much was needed to be said after that. I dispended my driver, that was the furthest he would have to go that day. Portao is the place where I would spend the rest of my life. Life never goes as planned, but it usually turns out even better.

A LOVELY CLICHÉ ENDING I would talk about anything, Really anything. I would talk about Nature. All its energy All its power All its moves That somehow proves We are not alone. I would talk about Time. The time that brought us together And somehow Set us apart. I would also talk about life, This endless journey Which, indeed, has and end. Now Love I would talk about Love if I could If I could find a way out Of my thoughts And finally realize It is no supposed To make any sense After all, My heart and my mind Don’t speak the same language. I would talk about anything, Really anything. Though I wouldn’t talk about us… ‘Cause just like there are things That shouldn’t be said Some other things Don’t really fit into words.

Words are only magical if adopted by a reader. Your eyes and your ears bring my words into life. In between my words and your consciousness, we create our own little reality. For that, I thank you.