The Puzzling Constellation
The Plow.
Seal of crueler times,
why do you still turn up
in your perfect, sharp simplicity?
Distant years.
Of wonder, of desire,
of expectation, of disillusion,
of slow-fading, never-forgotten sorrow.
Long-gone scrutinies.
Will you now be the omen of poorer emotions,
of weaker passions, of more diluted pain,
of an uninspired, inconsistent age?
The warning septet.
Never were any setting blacker, any stars neater,
any sign in the night sky more admonishing
than last night. What a calling night!
I wait in amazement as always.
*First published in Italian Americana (RI, USA)
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On Listening To A Piece By Bach
–Alessio Zanelli
Alessio Zanelli is an Italian poet who has long adopted English as his writing language and his work has appeared in over 100 literary magazines from 12 countries, including Aesthetica, Arabesques, California Quarterly, Chiron Review, Dream Catcher, Existere, Flaming Arrows, Italian Americana, Orbis, Other Poetry, Poesia, Potomac Review, Poetry Nottingham and Poetry Salzburg Review. He is the author of three collections, most recently Straight Astray, and a featured author in the 2006 edition of Poet’s Market.
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