Allen Ginsberg andava ai Gat di Calcutta, Allen Ginsberg was going to the Gat of Calcutta

by Dianella Bardelli

Allen Ginsberg andava ai Gat di Calcutta
dove la gente arrivava morta
e veniva bruciata su grandi pire —
ci andava per abituarsi a morire
per abituarsi all’idea di cos’è morire
essere morti —
era la sua terapia
la sua scuola di formazione —
dal punto di vista egoistico
vado per lo stesso motivo
all’Hospice
dove la gente è malata e muore —
poi c’è l’altro motivo:
che lì, non so perché,
sto bene (2011)

Allen Ginsberg was going to the Gat of Calcutta
where the people arrived dead
and were burned on great pyres —
he was going there to get accustomed to die
to get accustomed to the idea of what death is
to be dead —
was his therapy
his school of training —
from the egoistic point of view
I go for the same motivation
to the Hospice
where the people are ill and die —
after there is an other motivation:
that there I don’t know why
I feel well