lenny bruce tattoo [draft no. 2]

there's her handwriting 

hidden faintly in the mirror.

...

i'm fat with second hand smiles

the sun gliding across your pepperbright skin

here on this coffeeshop couch 

convincing elbow high across the overfull beast

...

it's simply floating here, i can't blame anyone but myself

or maybe my mother, who first floated the thing, 

saying, "i can't blame anyone but myself." but 

i'm convinced: this is a good idea, sold to a lioness

before waking beside her 

her new sweat massaged into the mattress 

in the aura of whatever, is sold without much sell 

then buyer's remorse: this sweet thing cannot smile back.

...

"what do you mean he kissed a leper?

"what's the point in that? you kiss them

"and they fall apart."

lenny bruce tattoo [draft]

there's something to be written about self-awareness

_____ i was smiling there on the coffee shop couch convincing

_____ arm slung — casually, so casually, completely casually 

_____ — casually over the back of the second hand couch and sun gliding

_____ across your skin — pepper bright 

i can't blame anyone but myself

_____ this is a good idea, sold at a lioness price

_____ today — in the aura of whatever 

_____ — is sold without much sell  

_____ buyer's remorse: this thing cannot smile back.

"L'angelo del povero" [by Giuseppe Ungaretti]

L'angelo del povero

Ora che invade le oscurate menti
Piú aspra pietá del sangue e della terra,
Ora che ci misura ad ogni palpito
Il silenzio di tante ingiuste morti,

Ora si svegli l'angelo del povero,
Gentilezza superstite della'anima...

Col  gesto inestinguibile dei secoli
Discenda a capo del suo vecchio popolo,
In mezzo alle ombre...

_______________

The poor man's angel

Now that the harsher mercy of blood and earth
Fills our darkened minds,
Now that the silence of so many unjust deaths
Judges us at every heartbeat,

Now let the poor man's angel waken,
The soul's enduring gentleness...

With the undying gesture of the ages
May he alight before his ancient people,
In the midst of the shadows...

_______________

from Giuseppe Ungaretti's, Affliction, 1950
Translation: Andrew Frisardi