Folks, cattlemen and cattlewomen,
being in bed with a flu, my daddy thought I would have enjoyed to be given
a pencil and a notepad to scribble something while sucking sweets to soothe
my painful sore throat, so , thinking about all of you, I wrote this little
poem,
and then gave it to my mummy and she posted to the list for you to read and
see how nicely I behave while forced to bed.
ermi
“Al ballo”
che cos’č il ballo e che cos’ č una sfera?
č andato alla fiera? e se c’č andato
cosa s’č portato dietro?
posso avere il piacere di questo ballo?
mi ha chiesto. ho appena rotto in due
il mio dizionario, tanto forte e piena d’ energia
mi sentivo, ho risposto.
e voi come danzate? definitemi un ballo.
un girotondo
che coinvolge tutta la gente.
quando si č in ballo, bisogna ballare.
danzare di gioia
dimenarsi ancheggiare
prima ballerina della Scala
simile a un usignolo nero
col costume cascante sulle spalle
e in bocca un dente vacillante.
dal lato opposto della sala,
specchiandosi nella morbidezza del suoi gesti
un tizio instabile sui piedi
come sulle sabbie mobili
felice come un inglese al congresso dei Verdi .
danzare come navi sbattute in una tempesta
sognare d’andare al ballo di corte
dove incontrare il principe infelice degli usignoli neri
farsi coinvolgere in prove di scarpe misurazioni di piedi
sentirti parte della festa come alla fiera un orso
ballonzolante dinanzi a una folla di bovari.
Erminia 4 11 2001
“Dancing the dance”
what is to dance and what is a ball?
did he go to the fair? and if he did,
what did he carry with him?
may I have the pleasure of this ball?
he asked me. I have just broken in two my
dictionary, so strong and
full of energy I feel, I said.
and how do you dance?
define a dance for me.
a marry-go-round
with all people involved,
in for a penny, in for a pound.
to dance for joy
to toss about wriggling one’s hips
the prima ballerina at the Scala
like a black nightingale
with her costume hanging loosely
and a loose tooth in her mouth.
on the opposite side of the square,
mirroring himself into her soft travels
a chap as unstable on his feet
as on quake lands and as happy as
an English man at a Green party
to dance
like ships tossed in a storm
dreaming of going to the Court ball
to meet the unhappy Prince of the black nightingales
to get involved
in feet measuring shoe testing
to feel as participant as at the local fair
where a bear is shambling about
in front of a crowd of country folks.
Erminia 4 11 2001
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