THE MINOR POET ON THE BIRTH OF HIS SON Poem by Sergio Raimondi

Having found, after searching for days, his pencil
in the cabin of the little toy fire truck,
and witnessing the independent judgment
of his heir, who tears up the preferred pages
and intact leaves the rejects, the minor poet
decides to discuss with his wife a key question:
the organisation of time and space for his work,
at home, after the birth of their son.
And this talk touches on various questions:
purchasing groceries and cleaning products,
revenue payments, turns to give the child
care, entertainment, food and hygiene,
the lack of care, entertainment, food
and hygiene for the couple, the need to record
his first steps, how often to use what is known
- by the vulgar masses - as a dummy,
nice ways of keeping the grandparents at bay.
When a mutual muteness marks the end,
the minor poet realises that his concerns
have been displaced by more pressing needs.
That night, like an inspired romantic
taking advantage of the mortals' silence
to give space for his verses to take flight,
he sings, for hour after hour, a lullaby.