Leopardi's Valentine

"I won’t call heartless
who gives me breath."

If night hawks plan
early bird murders
without awareness

(we have no way
of monitoring our suffering
without awareness)

if very high numbers of people
are willing to inflict pain on others
for even small sums of money

if we already know who would be
on slavery’s side today
if 1861 was scrupulously reenacted

without awareness
another spring image from Issa
another Chernobyl.