R o b e r t a I a n n a m i c o —

translated by A l e x i s A l m e i d a

Like Gepetto

In the belly of the whale

lighting a candle to write

the ribs are

a colorless rainbow

a temple

where I can hear

my own voice

away from the ocean

dancing alone

Conversation

I didn’t see this

but I know it was real:

my mom in the kitchen

moving her hands

above the counter

handling plates pots

spoons vegetables

my brother in the yard

so small

that I had not even been born

in the skylight

a little red plastic doll

with tiny glasses

that my mom made talk

with a made-up voice

– hi little coconut –

they kept talking

all morning

To Light a Cigarette

If it’s a shared light

suddenly quiet

and afterwards a shyness  

like looking someone in the eye

with a match

burning low

that we quickly extinguish 

with the car lighter

a long kiss

passionate

with the water heater’s flame

on the tip of your toes

like kissing your tall boyfriend

with a tiny branch

taken from the fire

satisfied

from being part

of the nature

of this nearby heat

asking someone to light it

playing the queen.

Something Invisible

It’s cloudy

and suddenly

on the grass

an oval of sun

in the middle of the scene: nobody

something invisible

intangible

dissolves in the air

coming from the sun

it makes a hole in a cloud

and escapes

falls asleep on the grass

giving it heat

Flicker

Last night

I was sleeping

and suddenly opened my eyes

and saw through the window

some moonlight enter

lighting up

two white dresses.

The Things

Always with the things

the clothes

the plates

the hard boiled eggs

the tap water

the scattered toys

something warm

something cold

something soft

something heavy

things that fit

in the palm of my hand

that’s what I have

to make a life.

Curtain

I look through the small painting

of my dirty window

the birds eat

the crumbs I just swept up

I don’t know if the one singing

is Antonia or a pigeon

in the distance dogs bark

every kind

there’s no wind today

you could go out

and dance on the street

like a theater of puppets.

.