Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Gian Mario Villalta

I can only add that I meet

*

I can only add that I meet
on the large street every morning
the poplars, and one by one
they slowly leaf and at the same time make time,
every day they too change,
I detect them in brighter green
(I would stop, look at them one by one)
and when I return, every day, the other way,
I lose them – and think: they pass.

**

They rotate around the walnut-tree the five houses,
the sweet ploughed land, the high level road.
also the big clouds and the stone wall
sweetly rotate around the walnut-tree.
and the person who stops to purchase some white flowers
under the tent at the joining of the campers vans
rotates around the walnut-tree and does not realize it.
He comes to meet me, calculating the meter
of my step, the curve of the gaze
outside me, the walnut-tree rotating round.

***

This morning the season stands.
Buds, grass, pungent air.
Numbers on the slanted screen at the bridge.

In the most unreachable here-before
the season: in the touching
the hands stay open
to the air – it stands in the thought,
if the thoughts disappears at its standing.
Out of season returns such a time.

A bite returns that does not leave a mark.
When little I felt as a way to hurt
Not being a dog, a robin.

****

The body becomes shape of time
In my mind, the factory of kitchens,
The frost in the ditch, the frozen light

Slowly reunited  a different gaze,
A child comes and runs to me,
The old sick with the present come,

My parents when young come,
The dead who always accompany me.
Especially following the waters,

Especially when the cold reeks of
Incense and wood, the dense breath
of kitchens on Christmas Eve.

*****

The word forever does not mean the same
tomorrow,
or that this day repeats its light
of revelation -
I say forever and it means the color
of this day has infiltrated the days
all my days,
it found itself, in the past, and in this light,
which has known it,
has gathered the thoughts.

I can only add that I meet

*

Posso aggiungere solo che incontro
sullo stradone ogni mattina
i pioppi, e uno per uno
fogliano lenti e insieme fanno il tempo.
Ogni giorno anche loro cambiano,
li indovino nel verde più intenso
(vorrei fermarmi, guardarli uno per uno)
e quando ritorno, ogni giorno, nell’altro senso,
li perdo – e allora penso: passano.

**

Ruotano intorno al noce le cinque case,
la terra dolce arata, la strada alta.
Anche i nuvoloni e il muro di pietre
ruotano dolcemente intorno al noce.
E chi si ferma a comprare dei fiori bianchi
sotto il tendone all’incrocio nel camper
intorno al noce ruota e non se ne accorge.
Viene a incontrarmi, calcolando il metro
del mio passo, la curva dello sguardo
fuori di me, il noce intorno ruotando.

***

Questa mattina la stagione sta.
Gemme, erba, aria pungente.
Cifre sullo schermo obliquo al ponte.

Nell’aldiquà più irraggiungibile
la stagione: nel tatto,
se le mani restano aperte
all’aria – sta nel pensare,
se i pensieri spariscono al suo stare.
Fuori stagione torna un tempo così.

Torna un morso che non lascia segno.
Da bambino sentivo come un far male
non essere un cane, un pettirosso.

****

Il corpo diventa forma del tempo
nella mia mente, la fabbrica di cucine,
la brina del fosso, la luce gelata

piano riunito uno sguardo differente,
viene un bambino e corre con me,
vengono i vecchi malati di presente,

vengono i miei genitori giovani,
i morti che mi accompagnano sempre
soprattutto seguendo le acque,

soprattutto quando il freddo sa
di incenso e legno, l’alito denso
delle cucine alla vigilia di Natale.

*****

La parola sempre non vuole dire uguale
domani,
o che ripete questo giorno la sua luce
di rivelazione –
dico sempre e vuol dire che il colore
di questa giornata ha infiltrato i giorni
miei tutti,
si è ritrovato, nel passato, e in questa luce,
che lo ha conosciuto,
ha radunato il pensiero.
Close

I can only add that I meet

*

I can only add that I meet
on the large street every morning
the poplars, and one by one
they slowly leaf and at the same time make time,
every day they too change,
I detect them in brighter green
(I would stop, look at them one by one)
and when I return, every day, the other way,
I lose them – and think: they pass.

**

They rotate around the walnut-tree the five houses,
the sweet ploughed land, the high level road.
also the big clouds and the stone wall
sweetly rotate around the walnut-tree.
and the person who stops to purchase some white flowers
under the tent at the joining of the campers vans
rotates around the walnut-tree and does not realize it.
He comes to meet me, calculating the meter
of my step, the curve of the gaze
outside me, the walnut-tree rotating round.

***

This morning the season stands.
Buds, grass, pungent air.
Numbers on the slanted screen at the bridge.

In the most unreachable here-before
the season: in the touching
the hands stay open
to the air – it stands in the thought,
if the thoughts disappears at its standing.
Out of season returns such a time.

A bite returns that does not leave a mark.
When little I felt as a way to hurt
Not being a dog, a robin.

****

The body becomes shape of time
In my mind, the factory of kitchens,
The frost in the ditch, the frozen light

Slowly reunited  a different gaze,
A child comes and runs to me,
The old sick with the present come,

My parents when young come,
The dead who always accompany me.
Especially following the waters,

Especially when the cold reeks of
Incense and wood, the dense breath
of kitchens on Christmas Eve.

*****

The word forever does not mean the same
tomorrow,
or that this day repeats its light
of revelation -
I say forever and it means the color
of this day has infiltrated the days
all my days,
it found itself, in the past, and in this light,
which has known it,
has gathered the thoughts.

I can only add that I meet

*

I can only add that I meet
on the large street every morning
the poplars, and one by one
they slowly leaf and at the same time make time,
every day they too change,
I detect them in brighter green
(I would stop, look at them one by one)
and when I return, every day, the other way,
I lose them – and think: they pass.

**

They rotate around the walnut-tree the five houses,
the sweet ploughed land, the high level road.
also the big clouds and the stone wall
sweetly rotate around the walnut-tree.
and the person who stops to purchase some white flowers
under the tent at the joining of the campers vans
rotates around the walnut-tree and does not realize it.
He comes to meet me, calculating the meter
of my step, the curve of the gaze
outside me, the walnut-tree rotating round.

***

This morning the season stands.
Buds, grass, pungent air.
Numbers on the slanted screen at the bridge.

In the most unreachable here-before
the season: in the touching
the hands stay open
to the air – it stands in the thought,
if the thoughts disappears at its standing.
Out of season returns such a time.

A bite returns that does not leave a mark.
When little I felt as a way to hurt
Not being a dog, a robin.

****

The body becomes shape of time
In my mind, the factory of kitchens,
The frost in the ditch, the frozen light

Slowly reunited  a different gaze,
A child comes and runs to me,
The old sick with the present come,

My parents when young come,
The dead who always accompany me.
Especially following the waters,

Especially when the cold reeks of
Incense and wood, the dense breath
of kitchens on Christmas Eve.

*****

The word forever does not mean the same
tomorrow,
or that this day repeats its light
of revelation -
I say forever and it means the color
of this day has infiltrated the days
all my days,
it found itself, in the past, and in this light,
which has known it,
has gathered the thoughts.
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
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