Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Paolo Ruffilli

TUNNEL

And all at once
deep in the tunnel
that goes on and on,
in the dead air
that tickles your throat.
All those journeys
that have led me here before.
And yet, no, it’s no use
remembering, looking
forward to another one.
I knock on the wall
and thus become aware,
during the dry
and selfsame passage
of my reflection
of a ghost of myself
of what is left
as if, deep down
and against my very will,
I had been transformed.

Tunnel

Tunnel

È all\'improvviso,
dentro il tunnel
che non finisce mai,
nell\'aria morta
che pizzica alla gola.
Tutte le volte
che ci sono già passato.
Eppure, no, non vale
che lo ricordi,
lo anticipi una sola.
Picchio nel muro
e lì mi rendo conto,
dentro il percorso
cieco e uguale
specchio di me
a una mia spoglia,
di ciò che è stato
di come, in fondo
e contro ogni mia voglia,
io sia cambiato.
Close

TUNNEL

And all at once
deep in the tunnel
that goes on and on,
in the dead air
that tickles your throat.
All those journeys
that have led me here before.
And yet, no, it’s no use
remembering, looking
forward to another one.
I knock on the wall
and thus become aware,
during the dry
and selfsame passage
of my reflection
of a ghost of myself
of what is left
as if, deep down
and against my very will,
I had been transformed.

TUNNEL

And all at once
deep in the tunnel
that goes on and on,
in the dead air
that tickles your throat.
All those journeys
that have led me here before.
And yet, no, it’s no use
remembering, looking
forward to another one.
I knock on the wall
and thus become aware,
during the dry
and selfsame passage
of my reflection
of a ghost of myself
of what is left
as if, deep down
and against my very will,
I had been transformed.
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