Mediterranean
Ancient Sea,
From how many shores have I admired you!
With how many eyes have I loved you!

Today, you are an infinity
of frightened intimacy,
a black sea
of pleading arms and eyes.

At every landing,
you promise us a new journey,
a paradise of white beaches,
another happy island
vanished from the nautical charts,
a humanity healed
for us, children of unfortunate homelands.

Translation from Crescenzi, Marco. Il sentiero sull’acqua. 1st ed., Montedit, 2020

Marco Crescenzi