Robert Fitzgerald(1910–1985)
Figlio Maggiore
Benedict Robert CampionFitzgerald
Twitched in her belly, or he raised a fist,
and came and cried. O red and meager baby,
umbilical, priapic, knobby,phallic
mashed and wrinkled as an old pugilist.
A lyric name he got and a saint's name,
a third stout name from Pa, doe Roberto.2
Think of this Christian if you care to
filling his giant napkin 0 without shame.diaper
And soon for happy trilled at goldy leaves
by a summer air. What hours our boy would warble.
You find my doting lines intolerable
Never was infant such under such eaves.
Behave. "I'm being hayve. With Harpo's3 grin.
At three he shook his cap and bells, our jester,
or tented him in a souwester 0rain hat
and fragrant slicker to stay in the rain in.
Never (ah!) to inherit that dripping grove,
in a DC—6 he peered at cumulo-cirrus
"trees on ocean. (Graciously hear us,
lord of tha t aircraft gaily name d i LVE)
Ligurian fry4 inquired, "Why is your old man
home all day What mestiere5 has he
"Da notte va fuori a rubare case. "6
A penman's alibi. Tie it if you can.
Off iodine-scented rock pure undersea,
fronded, astir, awaited our explorer.
Noon. With a tentacled small horror
draped on his tines7 he swam ashore in glee.
Daemonic lightning, ire of rebellious powers
could rend this patient hunter of the polyp.8
Bone-ache from one corrective wallop
disabled the parental hand for hours.
Child of my own rage, rippling in Tuscan speech
through five hard winters' compiti, my Benny,
temi, storie, disegni!9
W h a t will the next years teach