What remains

A winter’s evening, city deserted,
long after dusk,
I happened to meet a glance
which some seconds before
I had perceived as the one.
What made me lift my head with such certainty
was not the nearing of the scuffling
but the quiver which struck me,
startled in joy and terror to be at last
next to living the arcane –
aware that I might at the same time lose it –
and this is why I remember it.
When she emerged from the dim light
I gazed more than a moment, as did she,
and in going beyond the understanding,
heads bowed, we lowered our eyes,
then, with a slackening of the pace, each made
a quarter turn of the head not to miss the
fleeting moment,
and what we said was profound,
and only now do I understand
why I will have her by my side for ever.
Everywhere, every moment,
someone is responsive to you, or something,
and around this everything revolves,
the rest is merely waiting and regret.

© Copyright 2023 Mauro Giovanelli “Seventy-nine writings or thereabouts”, life, love, death and the usual, second edition – Translation Italian-English: Philip Mc Court. – “Settantanove scritti o giù di lì”, vita, amore, morte, i soliti discorsi”, second edition, publications GEDI Gruppo editoriale SpA sito ilmiolibro