by Albert Russo
when you’re in a daze
not sure whether you’re awake
or still dreaming
you will yourself
from the farthest memories
to unfurl your life
then, overwhelmed
you catch yourself embracing
every single detail
your first steps as a child
yesterday’s road accident
your grandfather’s smile
it’s all helter-skelter
yet, so truelike, so vivid
so physical
you ask yourself
is this some kind of ESP
a trick from above?
the scroll of your own history
as if Jack Kerouac
were writing about you
nothing escapes your mind
the pain, the happy moments
your folks on a dance floor
remember that song?
swimming in Lake Tanganyika
the wailing refugees
spring in New York
chopped chicken liver on rye
you’re still a freshman
look at your hands
yes, the years have passed
but your heart hasn’t aged
indeed, you insist
as if to defy time
I am all those things
the past
the present
and the future
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ABOUT THE POET ~
Albert Russo who has published worldwide over 70 books of poetry, fiction and photography, in English and in French, his two mother-tongues, is a Belgian poet recipient of many awards, such as The American Society of Writers Fiction Award, The British Diversity Short Story Award, several New York Poetry Forum Awards, Amelia Prose and Poetry awards and the Prix Colette, among others. His work has been translated into a dozen languages, including German, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Bengali and Polish, and broadcast by the World Service of the BBC, publishing on the five continents, in 25 countries. He has also garnered several prizes for his photography books, Indie Excellence awards, among others. He was also a member of the 1996 jury for the prestigious Neustadt International Prize for Literature which often leads to the Nobel Prize of Literature.
Last updated May 27, 2019