Italo Ferrante

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francis bacon to peter lacy // peter lacy to francis bacon

francis, did you know that the actress who voiced the exorcist had to eat raw eggs for seven weeks // hand me your wallet // why // the slip pockets must be cracked // i need to hear it // your port’s disgusting // what do you need to hear // can you get me more chops & trotters // answer me first // we come from nothing & go into nothing

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do you have to lean your whole body against // did you hear the pigs // i’m calling us a cab // they’re squealing behind the counter // je voudrais un taxi // pollock… that old lace-maker // matisse… those squalid little forms // hockney… // okay, un quart d’heure // there’s nothing really there // freud… // please // the smallest cock in england

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can you be my bag carrier dear // shall i spill sleeping pills into your hand dear // will you spiderwalk down the stairs dear // there’s my brilliance & the brilliance of life // give me back my mirror // i said give it back // it’s tragic still to desire at my age

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i want nothing but plain-white walls, peter // where is my wallet // how i hate flock wallpapers // did you take out my cards // come help me peel it away // francis where did you // we should start from the switch plates // francis darling // i can use your fingers // light of my life // you didn’t let me finish my sentence

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ITALO FERRANTE (he/him) is a queer poet whose work has been published by Poetry Salzburg, Impossible Archetype, Cardiff Review, Lighthouse, Queerlings and Ink Sweat and Tears. Last December, his poem “Ode to Abruzzo” was shortlisted for the Oxford Brookes’ Poetry Competition.