Charles Simic

a translation into Italian of the poem 'Meet Eddie' by Charles Simic:

'Meet Eddie'

VI PRESENTO EDDIE

Che ha una vita felice come una lattina di birra
che precipita a valle lungo un torrente,
che gira alla larga da alcune rocce
mentre sbatte a capofitto contro altre,

e che si lancia un un vortice da far girare la testa
come una bambina sullo sgabello di un pianoforte,
con l’acqua che urla al suo rapido passare:
Sei pronto ad affrontare il tuo Creatore?

E il bosco attorno comincia a sfoltirsi
e agli alberi si rizzano i capelli in testa
mentre lui si prepara ad affrontare le cascate
come un cieco legato alla sua fisarmonica.

(Charles Simic - poem tramslated by Damiano Abeni e Moira Egan)

Simic is one of my desert island poets...I've esteemed him with the best of 20th century
poets. I was surprised to learn he became laureate...guess I figured he was too good to be
honored by the US Government. Growing up under Nazi occupation would tend to attune
one to the eerie and fantastic. Always a plate of wilted mushrooms served by a
one legged dancer....a cornucopia of corn...nbd

Aren't we all your metaphor of a meek sheep with dark truth under our eyelids? And what are we going to do about it? / Hamlet's dilemma or waiting for Godo... Isn't all our life about it?

Simic got the poet laureate job the other day. I never heard of him before. Some poet. So I been checking him out on the web. Reading his stuff. He has an interview where he quips. He might be a funny guy. Likes jazz. I might like him but first I need to pick him apart.