Queer Things

Emanuel Carnevali 1897 (Florence) – 1942 (Bologna)



One nostril means latin,
The other means greek.

My legs will be
little steel rods,
which will continue
trotting after
I am dead.

My arms are
two useless limbs
when I stand on my head,
(Which 1 never do).

My mouth, too often open,
will be my despair -
clogged and sputtering
and drivelling, -
when I'll be very old
(which will never be)

I hate my head
My rotting head
which will never fall of itself
like any decent pear.
It has the intention
of flying up to the sky,
but it will always trail in the dust:
eating grime and dirt,
screaming erotic songs,
begging all the world
to enter in it.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
102

Quick analysis:

Scheme AB CXDXE XXED AFXBXC EEXFAXXXXXX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 570
Words 116
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 2, 5, 4, 6, 11

Emanuel Carnevali

Emanuel Carnevali was born in Florence, Italy, and immigrated to the U.S. just before World War I. He held a series of menial jobs in New York City before joining literary circles whose ranks included William Carlos Williams, Kay Boyle, Lola Ridge, and Robert McAlmon. more…

All Emanuel Carnevali poems | Emanuel Carnevali Books

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