Journal of Italian Translation

Adria Bernardi/Raffaello Baldini
wouldn’t this be a latch, hey, it opens,
it sure does, it’s a tiny staircase, I’m taking off,
I’m yelling, singing, me, even though I’m tone deaf, patience,
no one’s making any noise, and there’s another staircase over there,
didn’t I already pass through here already? or not? places, at any
rate,
so many of them are the same, they’re all alike, it’s a wild goosechase,
but I’m, banging my head was bad enough,
as long as it’s down below, Jesus, did I see right?
beautiful, all spread out like a whore,
I hadn’t understood yet, the stone masons
had left it there, it means I can do it,
it’s swaying, and up here at the top, hold tight now,
I climb through the window,
a meeting room, keep going, another staircase, it’s marble,
with brass railings, it’s easy street,
then another, they just keep going on and on, and you, what do
you want?
don’t you shake all over me, it’s complete drenched, you got me wet,
the only thing missing was the dog, go, go on, scat,
you can go to hell, but I’m going to rest,
you’ve got to catch your breath every once in awhile,
I’m not twenty anymore, all right then, much better,
all I need is five minutes,
just how steep is this? I’m starting now,
it’s always like this, if I stop, after awhile,
my head starts spinning like a top, there’s got to be
some place, somewhere, that’s dry,
you think you’re ever going to get there?
but it’s dry, I’m telling you,
dry as a walnut,
with dust like that fluff under the bed,
on those curled-up notecards
on the dresser mirror, and then even there,
are you so sure that the water’s not going to come?
I don’t know, they’re all good questions, who can reply?
but there is one in particular, and that question, if we meet,
not him, he doesn’t control a thing, with all his chitchat,
he’s a pawn, no, it’s the ones who are above him,
the ones who really run things, the ones you could have the talk with,
two words for you: why me?
because when you think about it,
this is a big deal, it’s way too big,
I’m here, it seems to me, I was selected at random,
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