Four Poems by Bruno Carlucci

 

An Echinoidea Such As I

cheering cicadas

and fragrant junipers

over the cliff

sea urchins were cracked open

soaked in lime juice and devoured

we brushed over the ridge and dove

our lungs filled with electricity

as the ocean took us in

now unbound

the wind and I alone

drift with the remains  

as they appear in whirls  

among these native waves

A Fading Measure

I walk along  

a mountain town

that drops to shore

parting winter days with razor blades—

one margin forged by sunbeams

the other by the biting frost

a moment dilates

as my saturated pupils—

an old ache lost its grip

and the measure of time

finally fades

“L'Eternel”

a gravely road

leads to “L'Eternel”

with bumps and rocks

that can trip you

and make your knees bleed

all shapes and creatures

flying and crawling around

with mechanical charm

like bulbuls* and geckos and cardinals*

the air gets a taste

of fried rice roasted spices

fresh fish or prawns

a gravely road

leads to “L'Eternel”

as we go

and come back

every day

*Local bird names in Madagascar and Mauritius

Conundrum (joke)

you are the waves

always part of a whole

following preceding

once before after

I am the sand

squished with the others

a grain of rice

in a box that is crowded

yet always alone

and we meet everyday

and I have to wonder

whether this is going to work

Bruno Carlucci is a professional musician, poet and an Amalfi Coast captive. He studied modern literature and visual arts at the University of Bologna (DAMS), traveled quite extensively, worked many jobs, experienced several degrees of loss and the joy of fatherhood. Website: www.brunocarlucci.com