Manda la posizione.

Eccola.

ATTESA

Esci dalla statale a sinistra e
scendi giù dal colle. Arrivato
in fondo, gira ancora a sinistra.
Continua sempre a sinistra. La strada
arriva a un bivio. Ancora a sinistra.
C’è un torrente, sulla sinistra.
Prosegui. Poco prima
della fine della strada incroci
un’altra strada. Prendi quella
e nessun’altra. Altrimenti
ti rovinerai la vita
per sempre. C’è una casa di tronchi
con il tetto di tavole, a sinistra.
Non è quella che cerchi. È quella
appresso, subito dopo
una salita. La casa
dove gli alberi sono carichi
di frutta. Dove flox, forsizia e calendula
crescono rigogliose. È quella
la casa dove, in piedi sulla soglia,
c’è una donna
con il sole nei capelli. Quella
che è rimasta in attesa
fino a ora.
La donna che ti ama.
L’unica che può dirti:
“Come mai ci hai messo tanto?”

This collection, with the fantastic title Orientarsi con le stelle, encompasses the entire short life of Raymond Carver, which was cut short at the age of 50 due to lung cancer.

Carver, known as an author of short stories, here appears in the guise of a poet.

Poetry was not just a simple pastime, a hobby to engage in when he wanted to rest from narration. Instead, it was a spiritual necessity, as his last wife Tess Gallagher says in the beautiful afterword at the end of the collection.

These poems have a great narrative immediacy and are absolutely autobiographical, with the characteristics of a diary.

They are a strange hybrid between poetry and prose, almost like pills of stories in the form of poetry.

However, in my opinion, starting a new line before the end of a sentence does not make a phrase a poetic verse. For my aesthetic sensibility, I consider it a stylistic artifice, and many of Carver's poems, but not the one I have quoted above, have this limitation. For this reason, my rating is three and a half stars. Unfortunately, Gr, with all its sophistries, does not allow for a half point.

But despite this subjective formal annoyance of mine, Carver's soul shines through, full of humanity, lived life, and great attention to others. And his poems perhaps end up clarifying what sometimes remains obscure in his prose stories.

God damn you, Raymond Carver.

You spent time with Haruki Murakami when your books were selling better in Japan than in America. The Japanese were infatuated by the deep roots of shame in your work, while we in America were too scared of how it made us feel.

You also spent time with Bukowski when he had money and threw it around like a man who understood how ephemeral it was.

You were the best, yet no one knew it until you were dead.

I love you, Raymond Carver. The same way I love my dad, like a god, untouchable and perfect in all of their flaws.

This book is the most perfect collection of poems on the face of the earth.

For Raymond Carver

Alley Wine

We drank until we bled, one way or another. Three brothers tugging at the same old bottle. I hadn't eaten in days but still I managed to shit my pants. They doubled over laughing. But I did it so they'd have to take care of me for a change.

Raymond Carver, your work has had a profound impact on me. It's as if you were able to capture the essence of life's most complex and often overlooked moments.

Your words have the power to make me feel both pain and joy, to make me reflect on my own life and the choices I've made.

I am grateful for the gift of your writing and will continue to cherish it always.

This is one of the most endearing books I have read.

The title is perfect: in these poems, we are all there. It has been my companion during the mornings of four or five consecutive weeks.

When I closed it, I felt a small replica of what it feels like to say goodbye to someone you will never see again.

To my great fortune, I can indeed return to Carver, and surely I will. It was a delicious companion.

Every poet should read it carefully.

This book is not just a collection of poems; it's a journey into the human heart and soul.

The words seem to leap off the page and touch you in the deepest parts of your being.

Carver's ability to capture the essence of life's simplest moments and turn them into profound works of art is truly remarkable.

Whether you are a poetry lover or just someone looking for a beautiful and thought-provoking read, this book is a must-have.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience the power of words and the beauty of poetry.

Recimo da kažem leto,

napišem reč "kolibri",

stavim je u koverat i

odnesem je dole niz breg

do sandučeta. Kada otvoriš

moje pismo setićeš se

ovih dana i koliko te,

koliko te samo volim."

"Čeznem da ti kažem najdublje reči koje ti imam reći, ali se ne usuđujem, strahujući da bi mi se mogla nasmejati." Tako je govorio Tagore u jednoj od najljepših ljubavnih pjesama koje su ikada napisane. Isto tako, mislim da niko ne umije da te "najdublje reči" kaže tako lako kao Karver. Karver je sposoban da približi sve one česte, uvijek iznova čarobne trenutke koje provodimo sa osobom koju volimo. To su osmjeh u njenim očima, njen sposobnost da nas, čak i u običnim radnjama, iznenadi svojom posebnošću. Sreća koja nas postepeno ispunjava kada smo zajedno. Povjerenje i zahvalnost. Radost što ona postoji u svakom sledećem trenutku, sa svim svojim osobinama. Umijeće da stvori novi blistavi svijet samo svojim postojanjem. Bezbojnost ostalih, beskorisnost mišljenja. Putovanje bez i jednog pokreta. Jedno maleno sazvežđe samo nama vidljivo i samo za nas dvoje, u kojem se njišemo kao na ivici kosmosa, zategnutoj ljuljašci.

Splendide mattinate.

These are the glorious mornings.

Giorni in cui mi manca tanto che non mi manca niente.

Days when I miss so much that I don't miss anything.

Mi basta questa vita e non voglio altro. Immobile,

This life is enough for me and I want nothing else. Motionless,

spero che nessuno arrivi.

I hope no one comes.

Ma se arriva qualcuno, spero sia lei.

But if someone comes, I hope it's her.

Quella con le stelline di brillanti

The one with the little stars of brilliants

sulla punta delle scarpe.

on the tips of her shoes.

La ragazza che ho visto danzare il minuetto.

The girl I saw dancing the minuet.

Quell’antica danza.

That ancient dance.

Il minuetto. Lo danzava

The minuet. She danced it

come doveva essere danzato.

as it should have been danced.

E a modo suo.

And in her own way.

These beautiful mornings hold a special charm. The days are filled with a strange longing, yet at the same time, I feel a sense of contentment with the life I have. Standing still, I wait, hoping that no one will disrupt this peaceful moment. But if someone were to come, I secretly wish it would be that particular girl. The one with the sparkling brilliants on her shoes, the girl who danced the minuet with such grace and elegance. That ancient dance, she brought it to life in a way that only she could. It was a sight to behold, and it left a lasting impression on my heart.

When I first started reading, Carver's poetry didn't particularly appeal to me. Not because his expression was, in most cases, essentially empty, but because it didn't convince me. However, as I moved past the middle and approached the end, he was increasingly able to win me over. And indeed, perhaps the last collection within these assembled poems is something of the best and the pinnacle of Carver's poetic expression. Also, it's possible that the poems made a much weaker impression on me because I essentially despise "anthologies" and everything that is "assembled" in one place.

I would like to take Carver's short stories, for which he is also known. And this can also be seen in the poetry. What fascinates me about him is the sensibility that, simply, seems to open the door to something that you can't embrace with logic, but that you completely understand as human or as a part of the human.

He was a MUCH better story-writer than poet.

His skills in crafting engaging and captivating stories were truly remarkable. The way he could develop characters, build plots, and create vivid settings made his stories come alive on the page.

Readers were easily drawn into his fictional worlds, eagerly following the adventures and experiences of his characters.

His stories had a unique charm and appeal that set them apart from others.

In contrast, his poetry, while not without merit, did not have the same level of impact.

The words in his poems did not flow as smoothly, and the emotions and ideas he tried to convey were not as clearly expressed.

Nevertheless, he continued to write both stories and poetry, constantly striving to improve his craft and explore new creative territories.

Despite his preference for story-writing, his poetry also had its own fans and admirers, who appreciated the different aspects of his creative talent.

Overall, he was a talented writer, with a particular strength in the art of story-telling.

I firmly believe that Raymond Carver was more adept at writing short stories rather than poetry. Many of his works here seem to revolve around themes such as his divorce, alcoholism, or fishing and hunting. To be honest, after a while, it begins to feel a bit monotonous.

However, there are a select few poems in this collection that truly have the power to both rend and mend my heart. His love poems are simply beautiful, simple, and wonderful. They possess a charm that is hard to resist.

Even though I didn't really take a liking to the last collection included here, namely "A New Path to the Waterfall," his poems about his cancer diagnosis are truly something special. They are less about the sadness of his impending death and more about the grief he feels for his wife and all his friends, knowing that he has limited time left with them.

The essay from his long-time partner and finally wife, Tess Gallagher, contains a detail that really struck me. It's about how, even in the final days of his life, he was still hopeful that he might pull through okay. In fact, she found a note in his shirt pocket that was scrawled with "eggs, peanut butter, hot choc. Australia? Antarctica??" Oof, that really hurts. It shows his indomitable spirit and his refusal to give up hope until the very end.

This collection brings all of Carver's poems together, which is truly wonderful to have. It is extremely beneficial for study purposes.

However, the downside is that there is bound to be a significant portion that may not suit everyone's taste. I really wish I could have a mix-tape style collection that includes only the poems that I enjoy rereading.

On a positive note, this collection features a detailed appendix with bibliographic and textual history. This appendix provides valuable insights into the background and evolution of Carver's poems, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Despite the fact that not all the poems may be to one's liking, the comprehensive nature of this collection, along with its detailed appendix, makes it a valuable resource for both scholars and enthusiasts of Carver's work.

Carver's book that contains all of his poems is an anthology enriched by the preface and epilogue of his wife (who is also a poet and Carver's editor) Tess Gallagher.

The author, who was given the title of 'American Chekhov' by The Guardian, is truly a great admirer of Chekhov and has included many of his sayings in his poems.

Carver is someone who creates incredibly poignant stories from the lives of ordinary people. Many of his poems, as his wife puts it, are the complement of his stories, a kind of 'dictionary' to understand the emotions described in his stories.

What makes this book even more readable is that many of the poems were written after Carver returned from the brink of death due to alcoholism in 1976 (and in the poem 'Gravy', he describes the past ten years as a 'free' life given to him) and also includes the poems he wrote in his last year after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1987.

The poems 'Gravy' and 'No Need' are in the nature of a will he left to his friends and wife...

'Gravy'
No other word will do. For that’s what it was. Gravy.
Gravy, these past ten years.
Alive, sober, working, loving and
being loved by a good woman. Eleven years
ago he was told he had six months to live
at the rate he was going. And he was going
nowhere but down. So he changed his ways
somehow. He quit drinking! And the rest?
After that it was all gravy, every minute
of it, up to and including when he was told about,
well, some things that were breaking down and
building up inside his head. “Don’t weep for me,”
he said to his friends. “I’m a lucky man.
I’ve had ten years longer than I or anyone
expected. Pure gravy. And don’t forget it.”

'No Need'
I see an empty place at the table.
Whose? Who else’s? Who am I kidding?
The boat’s waiting. No need for oars
or a wind. I’ve left the key
in the same place. You know where.
Remember me and all we did together.
Now, hold me tight. That’s it. Kiss me
hard on the lips. There. Now
let me go, my dearest. Let me go.
We shall not meet again in this life,
so kiss me goodbye now. Here, kiss me again.
Once more. There. That’s enough.
Now, my dearest, let me go.
It’s time to be on the way.

Not4me is a concept that holds great significance in our lives.

It represents the things, situations, or ideas that do not align with our personal values, interests, or goals.

Sometimes, we may encounter opportunities or offers that seem appealing on the surface, but upon closer examination, we realize that they are not for us.

By being able to recognize and firmly state "Not4me," we are asserting our individuality and making choices that are true to ourselves.

This can help us avoid getting into situations that may cause stress, dissatisfaction, or a sense of being out of place.

It also allows us to focus our time and energy on the things that truly matter to us and bring us joy and fulfillment.

In a world where there are countless options and distractions, being able to say "Not4me" is a powerful tool for self-discovery and personal growth.

It enables us to carve out our own path and create a life that is in harmony with who we are.

So, the next time you are faced with a decision, don't be afraid to listen to your inner voice and say "Not4me" if it feels right.

Remember, it's your life, and you have the power to choose what is and isn't for you.

None of these poems leave us indifferent. They have the power to touch our hearts and stir our emotions. Each poem is like a little world of its own, filled with vivid images, profound thoughts, and beautiful language. Some poems make us laugh, while others make us cry. Some make us think deeply about life and love, while others transport us to far-off places and times. Whether we are reading a classic poem by a famous poet or a modern poem by an unknown author, we are always amazed by the creativity and talent of the poets. These poems are a testament to the human spirit and our ability to express our deepest feelings and experiences through words.