Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Flavio Santi

I observe the photo

I observe the photo
of Felice and Franz
their ridiculous still gestures.
The black and white must have
given in at some corner
and from there, like from an outlet, must
have spilled to the nose, the forehead,
the chin, the feet – hidden.
Felice has still the sense regained not long before,
she’s hunched up, the  edges
of their lips are plastered.
Kafka instead
has only the clash of the outline,
a false suspension.
They are loving one another.
Felice wants a house.
Franz has drooping eyes,
has the thought of the rain,
that might leak through the roof.

I observe the photo

Osservo la foto
di Felice e Franz
i loro gesti ridicoli immobili.
Il bianco e nero deve aver
ceduto in qualche angolo
e di lì, a foce, essersi
diffuso sul naso, fronte,
mento, piedi – nascosti.
Felice ha ancora il senso riavuto da poco,
è incassata su se stessa, i lembi
dei labbri sono incalcinati.
Kafka invece
ha il solo urto della sagoma,
una finta sospensione.
Si stanno amando.
Felice ha voglia di una casa.
Franz ha gli occhi spiovuti,
ha il pensiero della pioggia,
che può entrare dal tetto.
Close

I observe the photo

I observe the photo
of Felice and Franz
their ridiculous still gestures.
The black and white must have
given in at some corner
and from there, like from an outlet, must
have spilled to the nose, the forehead,
the chin, the feet – hidden.
Felice has still the sense regained not long before,
she’s hunched up, the  edges
of their lips are plastered.
Kafka instead
has only the clash of the outline,
a false suspension.
They are loving one another.
Felice wants a house.
Franz has drooping eyes,
has the thought of the rain,
that might leak through the roof.

I observe the photo

I observe the photo
of Felice and Franz
their ridiculous still gestures.
The black and white must have
given in at some corner
and from there, like from an outlet, must
have spilled to the nose, the forehead,
the chin, the feet – hidden.
Felice has still the sense regained not long before,
she’s hunched up, the  edges
of their lips are plastered.
Kafka instead
has only the clash of the outline,
a false suspension.
They are loving one another.
Felice wants a house.
Franz has drooping eyes,
has the thought of the rain,
that might leak through the roof.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère