Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Antonella Anedda

VI

This language  has no innocence
– listen to how speeches break up
as if also here there were a war
a different war but war
all the same – in a time of drought.

And so I write with reluctance
with a few dry stumps of phrases
boxed into humdrum language
which I arrange so as to call out
down there as far as the dark
that sounds the bells

                                    ***

There’s a window in the night
with two dark shapes asleep
dun as birds
whose bodies draw back against the sky.

I write with patience
to the eternity I don’t believe in.
Slowness comes to me from silence
and from a freedom – invisible –
which the mainland’s  unaware of
– the island of a thought which spurs me
to rein in time
to give it space
inventing the desert for that language.

The word splits like wood
like a piece of wood cracked on one side
part the effect of fire
part of neglect.

VI

VI

Non esiste innocenza in questa lingua
ascolta come si spezzano i discorsi
come anche qui sia guerra
diversa guerra
ma guerra – in un tempo assetato.

Per questo scrivo con riluttanza
con pochi sterpi di frase
stretti a una lingua usuale
quella di cui dispongo per chiamare
laggiù perfino il buio
che scuote le campane.

                                  ***    

C’è una finestra nella notte
con due sagome scure addormentate
brune come gli uccelli
il cui corpo indietreggia contro il cielo.

Scrivo con pazienza
all’eternità non credo
la lentezza mi viene dal silenzio
e da una libertà – invisibile –
che il Continente non conosce
l’isola di un pensiero che mi spinge
a restringere il tempo
a dargli spazio
inventando per quella lingua il suo deserto.

La parola si spacca come legno
come un legno crepita di lato
per metà fuoco
per metà abbandono.
Close

VI

This language  has no innocence
– listen to how speeches break up
as if also here there were a war
a different war but war
all the same – in a time of drought.

And so I write with reluctance
with a few dry stumps of phrases
boxed into humdrum language
which I arrange so as to call out
down there as far as the dark
that sounds the bells

                                    ***

There’s a window in the night
with two dark shapes asleep
dun as birds
whose bodies draw back against the sky.

I write with patience
to the eternity I don’t believe in.
Slowness comes to me from silence
and from a freedom – invisible –
which the mainland’s  unaware of
– the island of a thought which spurs me
to rein in time
to give it space
inventing the desert for that language.

The word splits like wood
like a piece of wood cracked on one side
part the effect of fire
part of neglect.

VI

This language  has no innocence
– listen to how speeches break up
as if also here there were a war
a different war but war
all the same – in a time of drought.

And so I write with reluctance
with a few dry stumps of phrases
boxed into humdrum language
which I arrange so as to call out
down there as far as the dark
that sounds the bells

                                    ***

There’s a window in the night
with two dark shapes asleep
dun as birds
whose bodies draw back against the sky.

I write with patience
to the eternity I don’t believe in.
Slowness comes to me from silence
and from a freedom – invisible –
which the mainland’s  unaware of
– the island of a thought which spurs me
to rein in time
to give it space
inventing the desert for that language.

The word splits like wood
like a piece of wood cracked on one side
part the effect of fire
part of neglect.
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