Anxiety [C. Canali]
And my sad and infamous life,
spent killing and stealing,
returns every night with terror
of not finding someone to save me.
A friend spoke of priests;
never seen! Who are they? What do they do?
Charlatans, merchants, or prophets
but they take away my distress.
////////
Confession [C. Canali]
Tell me, brother, what is your sin?
Tell me how many times you've been with whom.
You’ve told lies, you’ve been a snitch.
Come on, why do you hesitate, it’s brother Isaiah.
Listen to me, brother, I don’t know if I’ve sinned
I killed a bastard who wanted
to cover his dirty past with money
trying to mock his fate.
What do you say, brother, you have killed.
Remember the fifth, it’s been prohibited to you.
I cannot save you from the eternal fire,
you have only a ticket to hell.
Listen to me, brother, and tell me if you call this
a sin or a noble gesture.
I took money from a rich gentleman
to feed a man who is dying.
////////
A Strange Queen [C. Canali]
If you know how to fly, tell me how you do it.
If you know how to dream, tell me when you do it.
If you know how to love,
I want to know,
I only know how to kill,
I only know how to steal,
I can do nothing else,
teach me you.
What do you think, friend, that there is someone
who knows how to love: No!
By now, on this earth, they are all like you,
they do not know what love is.
Among the earth reigns a strange queen,
she lives in castles made of every street,
changes dress every evening
and her name is hypocrisy.
Dear friend who kills and steals, you are like me
and perhaps, without knowing it, in this life you have won,
and hope that our God from the beyond
sees and forgives our impiety.
////////
The Snowing [C. Canali]
White clouds
in the dull blue sky
look down
at the fields with the plow;
it’s not spite, no,
not wetting the earth
but perhaps, even in heaven,
there’s a little war
and what are you doing? and what are you doing? and what are you doing?
I saw a swarm
of black birds,
strange creatures
with human eyes.
They were looking for a field
with a bit of grain
for many long months
they will search in vain
and what are you doing? and what are you doing? and what are you doing?
heavy fires
fell that day,
they moistened my eyes
lost in the light
lost in the effort
to understand, to see
how much pure joy
from a simple snowing,
something in the snow
a small cabin
white and solitary
perhaps abandoned.
In the distance, a bell tower
reminded a prayer
on the rooftops, ancient shadows
celebrated the evening.
////////
The Suicidal Friend [C. Canali]
Around your body
there’s a halo of death
I look at your gaunt face,
you smile, you are strong
your waxen face and slow impulses
your dark lips make my teeth grind.
You wait calmly
for your solution
your bittersweet death gives
a strange sensation,
a strange sensation
a strange sensation
a strange…
you asked me
not to cry;
it was the last favor
even this is denied to you, dear unfortunate friend
and the world
condemns you
and speaks of you
disgusted,
this filthy stupid world
that created you,
this filthy stupid world
that created you,
but not me,
but not me,
but not me, I understand you, I do not blame your gesture,
I know your story, I know your sad poetry
with the flavor of death, your hand in mine
and after this my death
life returns in me
and now I feel the strongest,
I have no more queens but a king.
