The Italian Way

When Italians sit down to drink, they expect to nibble I think.

Walking the Rocca

When did my people get loose from their leash?

“They were right behind me a minute ago!”

On the Upper End of Our Street

Nearly all the storefronts, except for a quaint cobbler shop, are for rent.

Their owners have fled down the hill, the way Hannibal’s troops were sent.

Ordering in Italian

Between the two of us, Rebecca and I know most all the words
On a menu. So we have very little trouble ordering our food.

When real Italians begin to address the waiter, however,
It’s just a completely different kind of script altogether.

Lengthy exchanges followed by weighty decisions bring
Dishes the likes of which I, at least, have never seen.

Carriage Returns to Review Décollage

Who knew, except for the way it glowed in the dark,
That this one had my namesake written all over it?

Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna

Apart from some names and the glimpse of an image,
You never know what to expect from the new exhibits–
Much less which one’s most apt to repay your interest.

A flyer around town led Rebecca to think, “That looks
Like some of the stuff I’ve been doing.” Only once in
Front of the pieces, the likeness was not to be found.

Instead we spent most of our time studying grid lines
Beneath mostly modern Roman buildings, fully drawn
Only to be partially covered in paint. Like my shutter.

For a better sense of what held us in thrall,
Check out the website link here and scroll
Down toward the architectural work at the bottom,
Even if the thumbnails scarcely do the exhibit justice.

The Law of the Land

The law of the sacred woods, inscribed in Archaic Latin, belongs to a pagan era.
Perhaps it conveys the mystery and the terror aroused by silence and darkness.

No one violates this wood, nor does anyone take away in any way what the wood belongs to, nor cuts off, except on the day when the annual sacrifice is made; only on that day, and for it to be done without deception and for the necessities of the sacrifice, it will be licit to cut. If someone transgresses [these provisions] he will have to offer a sin offering with an ox. Who will transgress voluntarily and with bad intention will have to offer Jupiter an ox as a sin offering and will be fined with three hundred asses. It will be up to the dicator to check the offer of the sacrifice and collect the fine.

With the arrival of Saint Isaac, Monteluco began to grow as a monastic retreat.
By the 13th Century, the path of St. Francis passed through this sacred spot.

Something About Art Doesn’t Love a Wall

So much depends on the way you make things look? Nothing about
A wall, least of all something about one outcast in a field, stands out.

Unless Sol LeWitt‘s Muro, left out in the open, is meant to have no end
In view. Something there is about a wall doesn’t love this construction.

The Map and the Territory

The “mule path,” an apt family name for the one who keeps pressing
To believe in the map, has failed to deliver on the promised shortcut.