John Stanizzi

ANTHONY – a continuum

 

Backyard football.  You and me. Both The Giants.  Me – Katcavage, Huff.  You – Conerly, Gifford. We pounded each other.

Watched the Giants win the Super Bowl.

You got cancer.

Died.

Funeral home.  Before it opened. You in a suit.

I looked you in the eyes.

Said, What the fuck you doin’?

WEDDING SONG

                       -a triptych

Mikalah        Nick

always          remember

loving           the

sunshine       blessings

and               the

birds             singing

Mikalah        remember

Nick             weeping

loving           inexpressibly

the                mountains

grass             reaching          

endlessly      the sun

brilliant         flowers

spirits            joyous

larger            symbols

than              emotions

words           and

Braelynne     luminous

little              life

reminder       that

love              blossoms

bringing        smiles

sweet            innocence

angelic          laughter

        devotion

 

John L. Stanizzi is the  author of 6 collections – Ecstasy Among Ghosts, Sleepwalking, Dance Against the Wall, After the Bell, Hallelujah Time!, and High Tide – Ebb Tide.  Published widely, he’s had poems in Prairie Schooner, American Life in Poetry, The New York Quarterly, Paterson Literary Review, The Cortland Review, Rattle, Tar River Poetry, and many others.  He’s been translated into Italian and appeared in El Ghibli, in the Journal of Italian Translations Bonafinni, and Poetarium Silva.  New work will be out this year in  L’Ombra delle Parole.  His translator is Angela D’Ambra.  His new collection, CHANTS, will be out in 2018 with Cervena Barva Press.  John has read at venues all over New England. A former New England Poet of the Year, John teaches literature at Manchester Community College in Manchester, CT, and he lives with his wife, Carol, in Coventry.