Chameleon Whispers

Taking its metaphorical cue from the proverbial chameleon (Greek: Earth Lion), this new collection from Robert Savino is distinguished by its poetic manner of shape-shifting presence in the world, one eye on the future, one eye on the past, with more than a casual tip of the hat to the author’s rooted and personal identity in contemporary Italian-American culture. Savino takes us from confessional to classroom, ballpark to bluebird twig, family kitchens and pizza parlors to NYC subway lines packed with straphangers and hopefulness, breaking bread with olive oil kings at kitchen tables, sailing against all odds with Cristoforo Colombo. This book is a richly rewarding invitation to sail along with the poet, learning ‘by going where I have to go,’ fully grounded in the moment, mindful of travels ahead, pushing barrows yet laden with grandfather’s fresh new concrete. ~George Wallace, writer in residence, Walt Whitman Birthplace Robert Savino’s “Chameleon Whispers,” as its title suggests, is a quietly powerful collection that reflects on life in America, from a childhood roaming Uncle Frank’s fields to present day and everything in between. Expertly crafted poems on patriotism, poetry, baseball, veterans, 9/11, and male friendship shape this well-rounded and comprehensive appraisal of one man’s “spiritual journey through life.” Italian translations of select poems pay homage to his Italian heritage, as do poems about family, history, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Savino, “aged and still a traveler,” is a profoundly wise and keen observer of human nature. These poems are Savino’s legacy: “what is left of me . . . I leave to you.” It is, indeed, a fine legacy that Savino bestows on the reader. ~Deborah Hauser, Author of Ennui: From the Diagnostic and Statistical Field Guide of Feminine Disorders (Finishing Line Press); Poet Laureate, Suffolk County, NY (2023-2025) Robert Savino’s poems, much like Whitman’s, are “afoot with [his] visions.” One doesn’t go in circles with the po