“But what kind of Italy was it?” (poem) - Flavio Santi - Italy

“Ma che Italia era?”
“Pasolini stava per morire, Mina cantava Sei grande grande
grande, le calamite si caricavano di tempeste
negative, la DC andava a compromettersi
i pantaloni scendevano a zampa
e noi ci eravamo abituati
l’uno all’altro
come cane a padrone.
La gente continuava a creparti
in faccia su una casuale scacchiera”
“Capisco . . .”

“But what kind of Italy was it?”
“Pasolini was about to die, Mina sung Sei grande grande
grande, magnets were being charged with negative
storms, the Christian-Democrat Party was about to compromise
our pants were belled
and we were used
to one another
like a dog to its master.
People continued to drop dead
in your face on a casual chess-board”
“I understand . . .”