Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Reply to "One Day, Everything Would Fall"
one day, everything will rise
(by Seriffed)
saguaro cactuses stabbing skies,
pinning cumulus clouds in place
shoots from century-shamed trees,
forming arms instead of leaves
arms hugging moon
fiercely,
stirring storm into Fury
stares from eyes wide shut
cries from sewn shut lips
like dust from the pores
of weary skyscrapers
flying amok in the steady
flood of light
wings
where shoulder blades used to be
daggers from pin cushions
blood clot from deep lacerations
souls in resurrection
like sunshine ending
the reign of shadows
or Hope surviving
the deathly hallows
yes Hope, never-ending.
Desire on fire
in long hibernating hearts
weeds choking walls
of Hate
deeds, building walls
of Brotherhood and Faith
in Joy,
where none had ever really smiled
yes, Joy,
where none had ever really cried
oh, tears
and rain too
all falling into the sky
falling ever so freely like Love
oh, yes, Love
like poetry not needing words
lovers not choosing death
nations not going to war
or heroes turned villains
turned heroes
or i, praying
i, singing
with you,
tender sprigs from
the rubble of Nothingness
or winged wonders out of
the Dark Chrysalis
blooming fuchsia, tangerine, cerulean, vermilion,
puce, chartreuse
and by far, many a truce
bets
on this game
this Life
all Changes
and lucky stars
out of terrible quasars
you, unbowed
unrelenting
here with me
burning,
rising
like the Legendary Phoenix
out of the ashes of Disbelief,
of Grief,
or the little children in us
outgrowing blind obedience
becoming who we truly are
becoming Miracles
yes, us
like tides from
thirst-killed oceans,
like secrets,
or the unknown past bound by
scrolls from all the dead seas.
prophecies.
freed. free. at last.
(by Seriffed)
saguaro cactuses stabbing skies,
pinning cumulus clouds in place
shoots from century-shamed trees,
forming arms instead of leaves
arms hugging moon
fiercely,
stirring storm into Fury
stares from eyes wide shut
cries from sewn shut lips
like dust from the pores
of weary skyscrapers
flying amok in the steady
flood of light
wings
where shoulder blades used to be
daggers from pin cushions
blood clot from deep lacerations
souls in resurrection
like sunshine ending
the reign of shadows
or Hope surviving
the deathly hallows
yes Hope, never-ending.
Desire on fire
in long hibernating hearts
weeds choking walls
of Hate
deeds, building walls
of Brotherhood and Faith
in Joy,
where none had ever really smiled
yes, Joy,
where none had ever really cried
oh, tears
and rain too
all falling into the sky
falling ever so freely like Love
oh, yes, Love
like poetry not needing words
lovers not choosing death
nations not going to war
or heroes turned villains
turned heroes
or i, praying
i, singing
with you,
tender sprigs from
the rubble of Nothingness
or winged wonders out of
the Dark Chrysalis
blooming fuchsia, tangerine, cerulean, vermilion,
puce, chartreuse
and by far, many a truce
bets
on this game
this Life
all Changes
and lucky stars
out of terrible quasars
you, unbowed
unrelenting
here with me
burning,
rising
like the Legendary Phoenix
out of the ashes of Disbelief,
of Grief,
or the little children in us
outgrowing blind obedience
becoming who we truly are
becoming Miracles
yes, us
like tides from
thirst-killed oceans,
like secrets,
or the unknown past bound by
scrolls from all the dead seas.
prophecies.
freed. free. at last.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A Reply
Love, all the saints, it summons; lures the sinners too with its sermons. So divine and yet so human, it feeds both our angels and demons.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
from Jonathan
"Love to faults is always blind, always is to joy inclined. Lawless, winged, and unconfined, and breaks all chains from every mind."
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lesson 2
Lesson 2
Vocabulary
Seasons
The names of seasons (i stagioni) are not capitalized in Italian.
la primavera—Spring
l’estate—Summer
l’autunno—Autumn
l’inverno—Winter
Months
The names of the months (i mesi) are not also capitalized.
gennaio—January
febbraio—February
marzo—March
aprile—April
maggio—May
giugno—June
luglio—July
agosto—August
settembre—September
ottobre—October
novembre—November
dicembre—December
Che mese è? (In che mese siamo?)What month is it? (What month are we in?)
È settembre. (Siamo in settembre.) It’s September.
Days of the Week
The days of the week (i giorni della settimana) are not also capitalized.
lunedì—Monday
martedì—Tuesday
mercoledì—Wednesday
giovedì—Thursday
venerdì—Friday
sabato—Saturday
domenica—Sunday
Che giorno è...(What day is...)
oggi (today)
domani (tomorrow)
Che giorno è oggi? (What day is it today?)
Oggi è giovedì. (Today is Thursday.)
Domani è venerdì. (Tomorrow is Friday.)
Italian Coffee
caffè (espresso)—a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e., espresso
caffè Americano—American-style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup
caffè corretto—coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirit
caffè doppio—double espresso
caffè freddo—iced coffee
caffè Hag—decaffeinated coffee
caffè latte—hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast
caffè macchiato—espresso "stained" with a drop of steamed milk: small version of a cappuccino
caffè marocchino—espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder
caffè stretto—espresso with less water; rocket fuel!
cappuccino—espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never after lunch or dinner
granita di caffè con panna—frozen, iced beverage (similar to a slush, but ice shavings make it authentic) and topped with whipped cream
Pasta
campanelle - little bells
conchiglie - sea shells
farfalle – butterflies
orecchiette - little ears
rotelle - little wheels
spirali – spirals
bucatini - little holes
cannelloni - big pipes or big reeds
ditalini - small fingers
gomito maccheroni - elbow macaroni
penne – pens
rigatoni – (from riga = line)
spaghetti - little twines
vermicelli - little worms
capellini - thin hair
capelli d'angelo - angel hairs
fettucine - little ribbons
lasagne - cooking pot
linquine - little tongues
tagliatelle – (from tagliare = to cut)
anellini - little rings
gnocchi - knots
Adjectives
In Italian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify.
il vestito bianco (the white dress)
i tavoli bianchi (the white tables)
la carta bianca (the white paper)
le camicie bianche (the white shirts)
They also usually follow the noun they qualify.
Except:
bella - una bella donna
buono – un buon pranzo
grande – una gran piazza
santo – san Pietro
However:
un buon amico – a good friend
un amico buono – a good-hearted
friend
un pover’uomo – unfortunate
un uomo povero – without money
certi risultati – certain results
risultati certi – reliable results
Examples:
nuovo – vecchio (new/old)
buono – catttivo (good/bad)
piccolo – grande (small/big)
corto – lungo (short/long)
alto – basso (high/low)
grasso – magro (fat/thin)
vicino – lontano (near/far)
freddo – caldo (cold/hot)
lento – veloce (slow/fast)
secco – bagnato (dry/wet)
More Vocabulary:
addio – goodbye
amante – lover
bandito – bandit
barista – bartender
capo – head, chief, leader
capriccio – caprice
diavolo – devil
diva – diva
espresso – kind of coffee drink
famoso – famous
guerra – war
innamorato – in love
lingua – tongue, language
mare – sea
nuovo – new
pantaloni – pants
pronto – ready, prepared
ristorante – restaurant
sempre – always
stella – star
strada – road, street
terra – earth, soil
veranda – porch
vivace – lively
voce – voice
Exercise: (How to Italianize some English Words)
abandon – abbandonare
ability – abilità
abomination – abominazione
abrasive – abrasive
absence – assenza
abstract – astratto
accept – accettare
accommodate – accomodare
adaptable - adattabile
More samples:
celebrate, inform, transform
decadence, conference, silence
humanity, unity, crudity
possible, vulnerable, probable
disillusion, detention, diction
conservative, concrete, offensive
Vocabulary
Seasons
The names of seasons (i stagioni) are not capitalized in Italian.
la primavera—Spring
l’estate—Summer
l’autunno—Autumn
l’inverno—Winter
Months
The names of the months (i mesi) are not also capitalized.
gennaio—January
febbraio—February
marzo—March
aprile—April
maggio—May
giugno—June
luglio—July
agosto—August
settembre—September
ottobre—October
novembre—November
dicembre—December
Che mese è? (In che mese siamo?)What month is it? (What month are we in?)
È settembre. (Siamo in settembre.) It’s September.
Days of the Week
The days of the week (i giorni della settimana) are not also capitalized.
lunedì—Monday
martedì—Tuesday
mercoledì—Wednesday
giovedì—Thursday
venerdì—Friday
sabato—Saturday
domenica—Sunday
Che giorno è...(What day is...)
oggi (today)
domani (tomorrow)
Che giorno è oggi? (What day is it today?)
Oggi è giovedì. (Today is Thursday.)
Domani è venerdì. (Tomorrow is Friday.)
Italian Coffee
caffè (espresso)—a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e., espresso
caffè Americano—American-style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup
caffè corretto—coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirit
caffè doppio—double espresso
caffè freddo—iced coffee
caffè Hag—decaffeinated coffee
caffè latte—hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast
caffè macchiato—espresso "stained" with a drop of steamed milk: small version of a cappuccino
caffè marocchino—espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder
caffè stretto—espresso with less water; rocket fuel!
cappuccino—espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never after lunch or dinner
granita di caffè con panna—frozen, iced beverage (similar to a slush, but ice shavings make it authentic) and topped with whipped cream
Pasta
campanelle - little bells
conchiglie - sea shells
farfalle – butterflies
orecchiette - little ears
rotelle - little wheels
spirali – spirals
bucatini - little holes
cannelloni - big pipes or big reeds
ditalini - small fingers
gomito maccheroni - elbow macaroni
penne – pens
rigatoni – (from riga = line)
spaghetti - little twines
vermicelli - little worms
capellini - thin hair
capelli d'angelo - angel hairs
fettucine - little ribbons
lasagne - cooking pot
linquine - little tongues
tagliatelle – (from tagliare = to cut)
anellini - little rings
gnocchi - knots
Adjectives
In Italian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify.
il vestito bianco (the white dress)
i tavoli bianchi (the white tables)
la carta bianca (the white paper)
le camicie bianche (the white shirts)
They also usually follow the noun they qualify.
Except:
bella - una bella donna
buono – un buon pranzo
grande – una gran piazza
santo – san Pietro
However:
un buon amico – a good friend
un amico buono – a good-hearted
friend
un pover’uomo – unfortunate
un uomo povero – without money
certi risultati – certain results
risultati certi – reliable results
Examples:
nuovo – vecchio (new/old)
buono – catttivo (good/bad)
piccolo – grande (small/big)
corto – lungo (short/long)
alto – basso (high/low)
grasso – magro (fat/thin)
vicino – lontano (near/far)
freddo – caldo (cold/hot)
lento – veloce (slow/fast)
secco – bagnato (dry/wet)
More Vocabulary:
addio – goodbye
amante – lover
bandito – bandit
barista – bartender
capo – head, chief, leader
capriccio – caprice
diavolo – devil
diva – diva
espresso – kind of coffee drink
famoso – famous
guerra – war
innamorato – in love
lingua – tongue, language
mare – sea
nuovo – new
pantaloni – pants
pronto – ready, prepared
ristorante – restaurant
sempre – always
stella – star
strada – road, street
terra – earth, soil
veranda – porch
vivace – lively
voce – voice
Exercise: (How to Italianize some English Words)
abandon – abbandonare
ability – abilità
abomination – abominazione
abrasive – abrasive
absence – assenza
abstract – astratto
accept – accettare
accommodate – accomodare
adaptable - adattabile
More samples:
celebrate, inform, transform
decadence, conference, silence
humanity, unity, crudity
possible, vulnerable, probable
disillusion, detention, diction
conservative, concrete, offensive
Preview: Italian Pronouns
Subject Pronouns
Persons Singular Plural
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st. person io » I noi » we
2nd. person familiar tu » you voi » you
2nd. person polite* Lei » you Loro » You
3rd. person lui » him loro » them
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Una Risposta in Ritardo
per Marius
Carissimo,
Scusa se la mia risposta
è un po’ in retardo. Dicono
il cielo del pensiero
è cosi grande, e l’oceano
del sentimiento
è cosi profondo.
Comunque, sono state
delle belle settimane pensando,
pensando al cuore
del tuo messagio.
Ora sto in un’isola
un po’ lontana dal mio paese.
La spiaggia d’avanti al hotel
mi ricorda di te. Le colline
fanno lo stesso.
Mi viene in mente –
come i raggi del sole
che ci carezza mentre
parlando, che sciolgono
il gelato che hai rubato
per me –
un montaggio dei momenti
che abbiamo vissuto insieme.
Calorosi e quasi tangibili,
mi fanno sorridere da solo.
Come le gocce della pioggia,
mi vengono in cuore anche
gli ecchi delle nostre risate,
i titoli e sottotitoli dei film,
le marche di vino o spumante.
Quelle tante volte che siamo
stati fuggitivi dalla scuola
e dal lavoro, mi trasportano
in un posto solamente nostro.
Scusa se la mia risposta
è un po’ in ritardo.
Volevo solamente estendere
come si cambiano le parole tue
agli aquiloni nei pensieri miei
o ai delfini nei sentimienti.
L’amico tuo
Carissimo,
Scusa se la mia risposta
è un po’ in retardo. Dicono
il cielo del pensiero
è cosi grande, e l’oceano
del sentimiento
è cosi profondo.
Comunque, sono state
delle belle settimane pensando,
pensando al cuore
del tuo messagio.
Ora sto in un’isola
un po’ lontana dal mio paese.
La spiaggia d’avanti al hotel
mi ricorda di te. Le colline
fanno lo stesso.
Mi viene in mente –
come i raggi del sole
che ci carezza mentre
parlando, che sciolgono
il gelato che hai rubato
per me –
un montaggio dei momenti
che abbiamo vissuto insieme.
Calorosi e quasi tangibili,
mi fanno sorridere da solo.
Come le gocce della pioggia,
mi vengono in cuore anche
gli ecchi delle nostre risate,
i titoli e sottotitoli dei film,
le marche di vino o spumante.
Quelle tante volte che siamo
stati fuggitivi dalla scuola
e dal lavoro, mi trasportano
in un posto solamente nostro.
Scusa se la mia risposta
è un po’ in ritardo.
Volevo solamente estendere
come si cambiano le parole tue
agli aquiloni nei pensieri miei
o ai delfini nei sentimienti.
L’amico tuo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
