Josefina Manresa Marhuenda, the one who was the poet's wife Miguel Hernández, died in Elche (Alicante) on February 18, 1987, at the age of 71 due to breast cancer. Josefina was the woman who inspired Miguel Hernández's book of poems The lightning that never stops, in my opinion and in the opinion of many, one of the best books on Spanish poetry. In addition, it also inspired other love poems just as beautiful.
Josefina following the tragic death of Miguel Hernandez in 1942 watched over the dissemination of her husband's work. However, many do not know information about the life of this lady who lived in the war and so many years later, she suffered from hunger and loved the poet until she was carried away by the disease. When he was in prison, his wife Josefina Manresa sent him a letter in which he mentioned that they only had bread and onions to eat, a situation that inspired the poet and he composed in response the Onion Nanas, the saddest lullabies in Spanish literature.
Two and a half months after the death of his other son, Manolillo was born. Josefina sent him a photo of the little boy who had just been born and the father commented in a letter: «Not a moment goes by without me looking at him and laughing, no matter how serious I am, seeing that beautiful laugh that comes out in front of the curtains and on top of the catafalque that he's sitting on. That laugh of hers is my best company here and the more I look at it the more I find that it resembles yours. And the eyes, and the eyebrows and the whole face. This son of ours, for whom you must not lose heart and trust in this life, is more yours than mine. The other was more mine ... »
The hardships she experienced while he was imprisoned inspired the poem of the Onion Nanas. She informed him of her tragic situation and Miguel, very affected by the news, and Miguel said the following: «These days I have spent thinking about your situation, each day more difficult. The smell of the onion you eat reaches me here, and my child will be outraged to suck and get onion juice instead of milk. For your comfort, I am sending you those couplets that I have made, since there is no other task for me to do than write to you or despair… ».
Onion is frost
closed and poor.
Frost of your days
and of my nights.
Hunger and onion,
black ice and frost
big and round.
In the cradle of hunger
my child was.
With onion blood
breastfed.
But your blood
frosted with sugar,
onion and hunger.
A brunette woman
resolved on moon
thread by thread is spilled
over the crib.
Laugh, child
that I bring you the moon
when necessary.
Lark of my house,
laugh a lot.
It's your laugh in your eyes
the light of the world.
Laugh so much
that my soul to hear you
beat space.
Your laugh sets me free
it gives me wings.
Solitudes take me away,
jail takes me away.
Mouth that flies,
heart that on your lips
flashes.
Your laugh is the sword
more victorious,
victor of flowers
and the larks
Rival of the sun.
Future of my bones
and of my love.
The flapping flesh
sudden eyelid,
living like never before
colored.
How much goldfinch
soars, flutters,
from your body!
I woke up as a child:
never wake up.
Sad I have my mouth:
always laugh.
Always in the crib,
defending laughter
pen by pen.
To be so high flying,
so widespread,
that your meat is heaven
newborn.
If I could
go back to the origin
of your career!
In the eighth month you laugh
with five orange blossoms.
With five tiny
ferocities.
With five teeth
like five jasmine
teenagers.
Kisses border
will be tomorrow,
when in the teeth
feel a weapon.
Feel a fire
run down teeth
looking for the center.
Fly child in the double
chest moon:
he, sad of onion,
you, satisfied.
Do not fall apart.
You do not know what happens or
what happens.