Monday, December 31, 2012

Walt Whitman


In a house in the hills by Montegiori, some local people gather every Thursday night to eat, drink, chat and perform something.  The house belongs to Mariano (arrowed by boat in picture) and he and his friends made me feel very welcome....in effect, I wandered in off the road and sat down.  Such is the hospitality around here.  For me it was a great opportunity to meet people outside the sculpture circle and to practice my fledgling Italian.


Here is the great Oswaldo in full swing...



...and the not quite as great Mark reading Walt Whitman's Facing West from California's Shores in Italian and English

Facing west from California's shores,
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity,
the land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled;
For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,
From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero,
From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,
Long having wander'd since, round the earth having wander'd,
Now I face home again, very pleas'd and joyous,
(But where is what I started for so long ago?
And why is it yet unfound?)

Thank you Mariano and Oswaldo, and all your friends.



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