Pier Luigi Bacchini (b. 1927) is from Parma (Emilia), where he lived until 1993, retiring to the countryside near Medesano not far from the city. His poetry collections include Dal silenzio d'un nulla (1954), Canti familiari (1968), Distanze, fioriture (1981), Visi e foglie (1993), Scritture vegetali (1999), Contemplazioni meccaniche e pneumatiche (2005), and Canti territoriali (2009). "Chiacchiere," the poem translated here, is from Scritture vegetali.