Spiral Staircase
In search of a bawdy shade
of blue, without the slightest wisp of cloud,
stair by stair ascend.
I've stumbled, by spiral's end,
out of this world and into heaven.
The Apple
One last apple among the leaves
of the highest branch, the sweetest.
The pickers must've missed it.
No matter — only I
can reach that high.
Watermelon
A man carves watermelons
beneath the green shade
of the vendor's stand.
Dozens of half-moons
make moonlight red.
Star Hunter
Forget about thrushes, quails,
woodcocks! I'm out hunting
stars with a butterfly net.
Undecided between Orion,
Vega, and Scorpio, I bet
on the Herdsman, Bootes.
At dawn I return empty-handed,
net burnt to a crisp.
I Built A Wall
It's my fault. Stone by stone
by stone I built a wall,
walled myself off from the world.
No way out now.
Even if I wanted to
feel your hand, one
step and I'd crack
my head on that wall.
Sunflower
Bright yellow in a field of green,
face to face with the sky,
holding its breath, calls it a day.
Not even the sun, for all its art,
can purge night from the sunflower's heart.
___________________________
Mario dell' Arco
Day Lasts Forever
World Poetry, 2024
translated from Romanesco by Marc Di Martino
