Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Umberto Fiori

[Goodness]

Your accusations, your
reproaches, again.
                     While I take them apart
as I can, one by one,
quoting facts, names, dates,
while I again count up on my fingers my two,
three, four good points,
and shout my life out in your face
you say nothing: you look at me.

The ears that are red, the veins
swelling in the neck – what
are you looking at? I know, I know that goodness
is not like this.

But doesn’t it rouse your pity
to see how
every day I am here
imitating it?

[Bene]

[Bene]

Le vostre accuse, i vostri
rimproveri, di nuovo.
                             Mentre li smonto
come posso, uno a uno,
citando fatti, nomi, date,
mentre riconto sulle dita i miei due,
tre, quattro meriti
e vi abbaio sul muso la mia vita
non dite niente: mi guardate.

Le orecchie rosse, le vene
gonfie sul collo
– cosa guardate? Lo so, lo so che il bene
è diverso.

Ma non vi fa pietà
vedere come
ogni giorno son qua
a fargli il verso?
Close

[Goodness]

Your accusations, your
reproaches, again.
                     While I take them apart
as I can, one by one,
quoting facts, names, dates,
while I again count up on my fingers my two,
three, four good points,
and shout my life out in your face
you say nothing: you look at me.

The ears that are red, the veins
swelling in the neck – what
are you looking at? I know, I know that goodness
is not like this.

But doesn’t it rouse your pity
to see how
every day I am here
imitating it?

[Goodness]

Your accusations, your
reproaches, again.
                     While I take them apart
as I can, one by one,
quoting facts, names, dates,
while I again count up on my fingers my two,
three, four good points,
and shout my life out in your face
you say nothing: you look at me.

The ears that are red, the veins
swelling in the neck – what
are you looking at? I know, I know that goodness
is not like this.

But doesn’t it rouse your pity
to see how
every day I am here
imitating it?
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
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