Farewell to IFAD

Mille Grazie

Mille Grazie:
I had my highs:
seven hills of Rome
and blood pressure.

I had my lows:
catacombs of Rome
and
work exhaustion.

Thank you all
for this lecture:

I learned
in bureacracies
processes
before
products

and

appearances
before
essence.

But never mind!

Orvieto and Arezzo
Napoli and Firenze
Venezia and Siena

San Gimignano
and the darling
of Sandra:
Perugia.

I saw them all.

On the lap
of Romans
I learned

and Hadrianus
spoke to me.
He said:
"You are giving me
bad advice, my friend
when you don't allow
me to regard
a man with thirty legions
as more learned
than anyone else."

But never mind!

If you think
we are paperless office:
look at Gunilla's table,
peep into JP's room,
and see what Christina
is copying.

And these
my parting words
to IFAD:

You are not
a son of Milis,
but
sister
of Ceres.

Where you think
you are going
with your military structure
words, and action
with divisions
targeting the poor?

Oh IFAD,
Open up
your stiff knots
uncross your arms
live your lines
and let it flow.

Let it flow
after I go.
Remember:
institutions just
empty buildings are,
unread paper,
limp laptops,
without people:
you and me.

Mille grazie!