Missing You: Meadow, Beach and Highway
Claudio Pozzani
translated by Suzanne Branciforte
Leaning on a vertical meadow
I'm waiting for a butterfly to take me high
There is a building with a harelip
and balconies wounded by geraniums
I have kneaded hearts and blades of grass
and found a nest of whisks
—and in a little while the wind will speak to me of you
I found a secret passageway
inside the pockets of my pants
Deserted beaches and turquoise coves
and tufts of lit candelabras
Your body swallowed by the sand
your eyes become tadpoles
—and now the sea belongs to you
Your back a hot hypotenuse
leads to the service area
My arm a straight beltway
that brushes against your overpasses
I am closed up in an olive with wheels
and I breathe in fake aromas of a forest
—I am not yet able to get along without you
Tua Assenza: Prato, Spiaggia e Autostrada
Appoggiato ad un prato verticale
aspetto una farfalla che mi porti in su
C’è un palazzo col labbro leporino
con i balconi feriti dai gerani
Ho impastato cuori e fili d’erba
ho trovato un nido di frullini
—fra poco il vento mi parlerà di te
Ho trovato un passaggio segreto
dentro le tasche dei miei calzoni
Spiagge deserte e scogli turchesi
e ciuffi di candelabri accesi
Il tuo corpo inghiottito dalla sabbia
i tuoi occhi diventano girini
—adesso il mare appartiene a te
La tua schiena è una calda ipotenusa
che porta ad un'area di servizio
Il mio braccio una netta tangenziale
che sfiora i tuoi cavalcavia
Son rinchiuso in un'oliva con le ruote
e respiro finti aromi di foresta
—non riesco ancora a far senza di te
CLAUDIO POZZANI was born in 1961 in Genoa (Italy). Poet, narrator and musician, his poems have been translated and published into more than 10 languages. He performs in international literary and poetry festivals. In 1995 Pozzani created the Genoa International Poetry Festival, Parole spalancate, the oldest and biggest poetry event in Italy, of which he is still the director. His latest works are the CD/book (poetry and music) La Marcia dell’ombra, and the anthology Spalancati spazi - Poesie 1995 (Passigli editori). In 2023, he published the novels Kate et moi (La rumeur libre, France) and Confessioni di un misantropo (La Nave di Teseo, Italy).
