Open letter international poetry series

Lucio Mariani

Spanning the arc of a distinguished career, this English collection gathers poems that feel at once steeped in history and unmistakably present. Through dense imagery and elegant, tightly wrought lines, the work traces how political violence, public memory, and global power leave lasting marks on individual lives and collective consciousness. From reflections on Tiananmen to meditations on the long shadow of 9/11, these poems explore the mechanisms of conflict—how it is justified, remembered, and repeated. With a voice recognized across Europe for its contemporary urgency, the collection invites readers to see time not as a backdrop, but as an active force that records, distorts, and demands witness.