Raffaele Carrieri (Taranto, 1905 – Pietrasanta, 1984) was an Italian writer and poet. At fourteen he ran away from home and travelled to Albania, Montenegro and other Balkan states doing any job he could come by. He joined D’Annunzio at Fiume where, still very young, he lost the use of his hand (he was, in fact, known to say about his extensive writing: I did it all single-handedly). This poem is from the collection La civetta, Milan, Mondadori.

He wrote numerous collections of poetry: Poemetto a Campigli (Venice, 1942); Circo (Milan, 1943); Lamento del gabelliere, 1945; Souvenir caporal, 1946, (works from his war years, 1940 and 1945; Manuale per gli amorosi, 1948; La civetta, 1949; Settentrione, 1951; Il trovatore, 1953, which was the winner of the Viareggio Prize for his collection; Calepino di Parigi, 1954; Se ne vanno i cavalla, 1954; Ballata dei povero Emiro, 1955; Il cigno lanciere, 1956; Blu turco, Venice, 1956; El cigarillo, Milano, 1956; La rondine Charlot, 1957; I giorni facili, 1957; Piccolo canzoniere amoroso, 1957; Canzoniere amoroso, 1958, which was the winner of the Premio Chianciano in 1959; Blaise Cendrars, 1958; Fresco sul bruciato, 1959; Come un orto come un teatro, 1959; La sardina cieca, 1960; Inchiostro e dolori, 1962; Un milione di anni, 1963; La giornata è finite, 1963; Arlecchini di Picasso, 1963; Poesia pittura, 1964; Perdigiorno, 1965; La formica Maria, 1967; Io che sono cicala, 1967, which was the winner of thePremio Tarquinia Cardarelli; Sera italiana, 1967; Afrodite ovaiola, 1967; Stellacuore, 1970; Le ombre dispettose, 1974; Fughe provvisorie, 1978; La ricchezza del niente, 1980. In 1971 he was awarded the international prize for poetry, Etna Taormina.

Painting by Renato Guttuso (Paesaggio urbano, 1940)

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