Poetry from Italy # 5

Keeping Love

giant metal objects
stuck tight
on a bridge

actually not just on bridges
but Juliet’s house
and Cinque Terre too

Those are places in Italy
in case you didn’t know

all with those strange metal objects
some even have colors

what?
it’s for love

two names written on it
means they're suppose to be together forever?

it’s a promise?
it’s a wish?

locked together
forever
no matter what

Is that really what it’s about?
those silly things
that you place on your luagge
so your things don’t get stolen

It must work so that no other will steal your heart
for it already belongs to your lover

and endure
no matter what happens

such a romantic notion
to be locked in a love forever

but do they really think about it?
such a promise
such a wish

and what it really means.

Poetry from Italy # 4

That Chapel in Rome

Everywhere covered in biblical light
my eyes focus as I
pull out my red camera

zooming in
I see a man reaching out
his finger pointing outward
toward a younger man
who looks listless
lifeless

will this touch bring him to lfe?
will you live Adam?
As it is God
God will

my eyes continue to roam
and land
there again another man

when all is said and done
are these who will judge last?
and who ascends,
to heaven?

I smile and spin about the room
the colors blur
as the angels begin to sing
and the chatter around me
brings life in the images
about the walls

then
I pull back my camera
placing it in my pocket

It's time to go
It's a shame

Michelangelo
Raphael
amazing artists

beautiful lights

I could look forever.

Poetry from Italy # 3

On a Train from Florence to Nice

sitting in an ugly blue seat
hours have drifted by
my tired eyes, glance to the side

there sits a girl
with a medical book in her lap
meticulously taking notes

I wonder
how she is
unfazed by the endless chatter
of those around her

and the sprawling landscapes
of rocky gray mountains
placed about a crystal blue sea

that passes by
just outside her window

I admire such dedication
to study in a crowded space
during the summer
with its never ending heat

suddenly
a tall man walks by
in lavender skinny jeans

she glances up

then I
chuckle to myself
and close my eyes.

Poetry from Italy # 2

The Rhythm of Firenze

Cityscape
busy streets
people from all walks of life gather

Cars zoom by
and beep
as the sounds of
clap, clap, stomp
can be heard from humans feet

while the dogs bark
and the birds sing
or squawk or even screech

As the many voices blend
together
in chatter, screaming, and endless laughter

cameras click
a guitar strums
As a bang, boom
Can be heard from a distance
And then

" Buonasera!" an Italian man says.

" Ciao, my friend! " a woman responds

and everything repeats again.

Poetry from Italy # 1

I was on Italy for the month and here is one of the many poems I wote while I was there.

Scribbles against the Walls

crowds of people push by
As I make my way
through the giant gate
And into a dark archway
Immediately I see

Written on stone
are initials locked in multi-colored hearts
layered on top of one another
Like bad graffiti
Littering the walls
In an endless stream of wishes from visitors

To Juliet
In hopes their loves will last forever

I look closer
At the marker, pen, and crayon
Etched into entrance of her house

And wonder
How much luck in love
Can one possibly receive
From a young girl
Whose own story ended in tragedy?