Pro Bono Publico

“My Beloved...”

Committing to Memory

Pro Bono Publico
Again infants play with wolf cubs,
claws and fangs leave them unafraid.
It’s still ahead of them to learn
to build a human world and blood.

And while the sun shines at half-strength
you can still guess the hill where brother
laughing with his laughing brother frightens
their unprepossessing mother.

“My Beloved...”
My beloved, my darling,
without you there is no life.
Soon we’ll be smoke in the field,
soon we will be starlight.

Soon we will turn into clouds,
if only together, only to be near.
If only a tender sweetness
Poured out love over the garden.

Committing to Memory
The snake has swallowed its own tail,
the castle surrounded by a moat,
Dante immersed in the circle of history.

Walking in circles is not difficult:
this landscape I’ve seen before,
I’ve read this book,
this man I’ve met
and lived in this apartment...

This man has been my husband,
and this one, my son.
Those strangers have remained
strangers, but these are now
acquaintances. And the school stands where it stood...

From there, I walked back and forth
to make a circle.
I went here and there
to get out of the circle...

These banners have been unfurled before,
These salutes thundered,
words spoken...

I’ve already worn these clothes,
left this food untasted,
suffered these illnesses...

This wine I drank,
listened to this music,
looked at these pictures...

From this pain I was already dying,
I have already received this hatred
as a sign of encouragement...

These promises have remained
promises—and my vows, vows...
The bell has tolled for me...

They have already called this war peace
and given death the name of life.
The circle remains a circle.