Journal of Italian Translation

Adria Bernardi/Raffaello Baldini
I would, that remote control,
just sitting there listening to it, it’s all chatter, come on now,
it’s just a big waste of time, always the same stuff,
and you can’t say a word, they should be the ones shutting up,
shouldn’t they?
those jerks, they’ve just got to talk, well let them,
come on, you’re, with that television,
always glued to it, go on and go uptown,
go to the cafe, go take a walk,
I never shut up?
it’s them that never shut up, enough, come on now,
watch all you want, I’m going in the other room to iron,
sure, and just what am I ironing? here, look at all this stuff,
which these were brand new, these pants, what am I supposed to do?
holes you could put a hand through, you’ve got to be kidding, here
these should be thrown away, it’s always like this, he,
if he has a certain thing, you can’t tear it away from him,
this suit coat too, look, what’s the use of mending it,
this one’s shot, the elbows, never mind worn out,
you can see the lining, he falls in love, he does,
with a jacket, always that one, always that one,
he’s worn it down to a rag, which then people,
look at how she sends him out, he’s making me look bad,
which people too, if they would just mind their own business,
no, this one’s gone, I’m throwing it away,
you could put on some of that velour, which would even work
better,
but he’s got so many, he’s got more clothes than I do,
well just keep at it, look at this mountain of stuff,
I’ve never had a big love for ironing,
I like knitting better, for me, knitting,
I made him a pullover, last year, which he was proud of,
he showed it off,
and now the watering outside,
which if I don’t keep on top of things, he,
Emma, come look at my garden? do you like it? come on in,
come take a look, I’ll come and open it, you can take home
three or four tomatoes, which in a salad,
if you use them tonight, will you tell me,
I’ll put them
in this bag, no, it’s not too much, can’t you see
how many there are? who’s going to eat them all?
and it’s not that I haven’t fed him any, I, sometimes,
in the afternoon, a tomato with bread,
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