What is poetry?
We say poetry and suddenly short free words crop up in a white space.
We say poetry and it comes to our minds Manzoni’s “Il 5 maggio” and Carducci’s “Pianto antico”.
We say poetry and memories of evenings spent reciting poems in chant bounce on us.
We say poetry and it comes hardly to mind the sea, a friendly smile, the embrace of a stranger, the caress of grandmother, the comfort of the silence, a scent that tells, a sunny day shared, the anger of a disappointment , free and unconditional love, the bitterness of a broken dream, the emptiness of those who never had dreams…
What does the word poetry tell us?
If I had to explain it in words I have no idea where to start.
But I know that Mario Jimenez apparently knows anything about poetry, but discovers it in Beatriz Gonzalez. I know he lives in a small village of Isla Negra in Chile and he doesn’t see himself as a fisherman. I know Pablo Neruda becomes his mentor, the one who will give him new eyes to see the world and what it owns: the movement of the tide, the pecking seagull, wings of pelicans…
The poet will hand the most precious gift given to a man – the written word – and is going to make the postman Marion a worthy soul: he will transform his life of little things in a metaphor; he will build up on that discovery as much as only who owns nothing can do, being so surprised in finding himself saying “How come I cry when I’m not sad? How come, if nothing hurts me. ”
“The Postman” by Antonio Skàrmeta is a poetic novel.
And with “Ardiente Paciencia” – original title of the book – I continue to believe in words of Neruda: “I have always had faith in man. I have never lost hope. Thus poetry will not have sung in vain.”.
Photography: Sara Cartelli.
© Immagini The Eat Culture.
