I found Polcevera by Julian Bishop in the inaugural issue of The Alchemy Spoon, which is available in print and online. It may have been the alliteration in the first line that caught my attention: 'Your silent storm'. I love the subtly repeated sounds - "taking it's toll"; "beating against bared ribs". In two places the poem drops briefly into Italian as if to conceal where the blame lies?

Or perhaps because the full horror of those 43 lives lost by negligence leaves us searching for the right words and unable to find them in the usual, familiar places?

I'm thrilled and grateful to have Julian's permission to record and share his poem. Please do check his other work if you like it. Also please do have a look at The Alchemy Spoon - https://www.alchemyspoon.org/

Find the text of the poem here: https://en.calameo.com/read/0062403289f3fbdc57bbe?authid=BT5fITEXG0bZ&page=37