The following poems were written in August 2018 at and for Balladarree (a permaculture, wildlife and native tree preservation on the Isle of Man, British Isles), an environment partner in the Unesco Biosphere. The poems, on request of Pippa Creasy who owns and manages Balladarree, were written on wooden chairs and benches, ceilings of the shelter and of the gipsy caravan, and on the wall of the compost loo in Balladarree. The poems are meant to describe the life of the area, where nature mingles with ancient Celtic history.
CELTIC NATURAL MANUSCRIPTS
A sweet shy sheep
wonders how to speak
to a leaving goose
while again these fields
get painted in golds and blues;
The knots and plaits of these fields
are carved in
by butterflies and bees
and are silently illuminated
in this path of continuity
(written on a one-century-old tree trunk in Balladarree, Isle of Man)
—
MANX MORNING CHOIR
A single interlacing of voices:
sheep, seals, geese
twined and twisted
in sky harmony
The overs and unders
fly on different tunes
horizontal and vertical
dawn to noon
The musical pattern’s
lavishly repeated
in form and similarity
reverse from noon to sunset
These ancient wool, books and stones
are twined and twisted
in the illusory nature
of Celtic knots
While all these vivid windy colours
on cliffs and fields
prove the verity
of Nature’s knots
(written on the ceiling of the Shelter in Balladarree, Isle of Man)
—
AS A WHITE STONE
The wind is painting the field
golden blue with purple bells
tossing their heads
thru barley stretching
under flocks of geese
Wind turns a dark green cliff
into a patchwork of shades
snaking around
ancient cottages and little stone bridges
A white dot
over a cobalt sea:
a parading seagull alone
as impudent as a white stone
(written on the ceiling of the Shelter in Balladarree, Isle of Man)
REST AND BE THANKFUL
horses, wind, crosses,
Robin, Rowan, Rooster,
then again
peacocks over rosehips
and the fish in the glen
all on the Isle
is changing the light
where time doesn’t fly.
The milky way on white stones
and yellow heath on green dunes
Nothing
will make you rankle
so then now
“rest
and be thankful”
(written on the gipsy caravan at Balladarree)
—
ZANZIBAR MOON
(unpublished)
The barefoot Southern Cross
winds thru sleeping mangoes
while the Moon reclaims its waters
of women and shores
the silence of rustling palms
spurs the wary heron
to fish and bath
as she summons all
the dark bright night
swings and springs
among those walking miles
and resting on hot cement
the barefoot Southern Cross
admits the regality of the Moon
as she grants gifts
to toothless sailors
Serena Piccoli is an Italian poet, playwright and performer. Co-founder and director (along with poet Giorgia Monti) of the acclaimed Poetry and Sister Arts International Festival (Forlì-Cesena, Italy). Together with Giorgia Monti she also runs a Contemporary Italian Poetry column on Tribuna Magazine (Romania) to give an accurate representation of the diversity of Poetry in Italy. With her book of political poems against Trump and Berlusconi (former Italian prime minister) “silviotrump”, Serena Piccoli is the only Italian poet in the Locofo Chaps, a politically-oriented poetry series edited by poet William Allegrezza (Moria poetry, Chicago, USA, 2017). https://www.thedreamingmachine.com/silviotrump-serena-piccoli/ She received her MA in Theater from the University of Venice, IUAV, and her 30 plays are produced and staged throughout Italy. In addition to her four books, her poems have been published in journals, anthologies and literary magazine worldwide. She’s invited to Festivals and readings in Italy and Europe to read her poems.
Facebook page: Serena Piccoli – Site: https://serenadesert.wixsite.com/serenapiccoli
