by Alex Valente
Original Italian by Loredana Magazzeni (1957-), from Transonetti ‘XIV’
I have no one but me, I am no other,
body of mine appealing to reason,
not to the plural echo of this hour,
nor to the promise of processing.
Gender queries the tongue
and level within level it translates it
follows mixed routes in performing
its transhumanation, across the border
of knowing, a love with binding eyes
and delicate thoughts sometimes,
but a false friend to me, from its siblings
does not recognise me, its peer.
The hour is here: night’s cover
turned on the side I face away from dreams.
