(…eċċ…eċċ…, translated from Maltese by Alfred Palma)
…when you tell me
about my neighbour’s house,
the kids next door,
the street nearby,
…etc…etc…
…when you give me
yesterday’s flowers,
outdated coins,
books with missing pages,
…etc…etc…
…when you tell me
about dissonant music,
a literature that’s too hard,
a theatre with no audience,
…etc…etc…
…I tell you you’re behaving
like a non-citizen,
exiled in your own country,
a soldier who is fightin
against his country
and the war goes on
…etc…etc…
…I’ll tell you also
I don’t know if I’ve written
these lines for you
or for myself.