Il sogno del canguro / Dream of Kangaroo

Talvolta sogno d’essere un canguro
Ultimo esemplare d’un genere ormai estinto
Con un suo aspetto proprio, peculiare,
Sconosciuto al mondo.
Sopravvissuto in un continente
A lungo inesplorato
E mai del tutto arreso
Vedo l’invasore cedere terreno
Retrocedendo verso il mare
E il deserto riconquistare spazio
Restituendo la pura linea piana
Dell’orizzonte
Dove nasce la musica del vento.
E non rimpiango niente.



Sometimes I dream I
am a kangaroo, the last
specimen of a genus
extinct, its peculiar characters
yet unknown to the world.
Survived within a continent
long unexplored never
wholly surrendered
I see invaders retreat
towards the ocean
while the desert comes forth
redeeming the purity
of the horizon, where is
born the music of wind.
And I don’t regret anything.









Born in Rome in 1961, Maurizio Castè has a degree in Theater and one in Philosophy of Language. He has been active for three decades as an actor, director, composer and musician. He has published a poetry collection, Libro Chiuso (Firenze Libri). His poems are also featured in the anthologies Porte e Tempo (Progetto Cultura, 2016-17) and Navigare (n. 8, Pagine, 2017).

Translator Toti O’Brien is the Italian Accordionist with the Irish Last Name. She was born in Rome then moved to Los Angeles, where she makes a living as a self-employed artist, performing musician and professional dancer. Her work has most recently appeared in Really System, Colorado Boulevard, Thin Air, and Wilderness House.

You can see more of Toti's work in 3.4 and 4.1 and 4.4 and 4.4 and 4.4 and Special Flash 50/50