April is National Poetry Month

A not so former student, he just graduated in 2009, won a poetry contest at Cameron University. I reprint it here with permission from the author, Seth Copeland.

Rosalia

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"Did you see Rosalia? Bella."

-Palermo cab driver-

Have you seen her?

She lies just down the hall;

the nymph with the

darkened face,

like a bronze cast

of innocent slumber.

For a time & time,

she's been there,

sleeping nonchalant

among her grim forbears.

With hollow, abrupt smiles

they guard their spawn.

Their jagged, hanging faces

do not disturb her rest.

She sleeps on.

There's a tinge of sorrow

in that face.

The sad truth of her sleep

may well be the cause.

She has left us

a precious shell,

a statue of eerie closeness.

Wake up! Live!

Poor dear angelica!

You fell asleep a child.

You awoke a symbol.

Somewhere, she

plays and laughs again.

My understanding of the poem: Rosalia, an Italian girl, has died. She's laying in a funeral home for visitation. Her family stands by her as people come to visit. "Their jagged hanging faces," is her family in the mob? Rosalia is saddened by the sorrow her death has caused. But her death brings meaning to her family. She has no reason to be sad. She is alive again, laughing and playing.

Post Script: Seth told me that Rosalia Lombardo was the inspiration for this poem. Look her up and get more insights into the meaning of his poem.