30

Bella Capello

There’s no denying it;

I am a hat person

And the wider the brim

The better

Italy – at least this part—

Adores my hat;

I cannot go anywhere

Without someone

Calling after me,

“Bella, Bellla”

And when I turn

They are always

Motioning to show

Me how much

They love my hat!

Day 16

Another Landmark Arriving

One month from today

Terr turns sixty-five …

That man I love more than life

It seems impossible we are old

He has put off retirement

Until Christmas – a sound

Financial decision, it seems

But I feel his dread and wish

I could help soften this change.

Day 15

Italy, You Go Too Quickly Past

One slim month from today

And silvered wings

Will carry us over the ocean

And home to our loved ones

I look forward to that, I do

But hate to leave this new love

Italy, ah Italy – you inspire me.

Day 9

Rionero’s Church Bells

Waiting to be fetched

From the train stazione

We are blessed

By a church nearby

Not only do the bells

Chime – a regular

Occurrence here

They peal an actual

Tune …

Day 8

I Think I Can, I Think I Can


A two-car train strains
To make the mountain;
I feel surreally isolated
As if in a scene from
“Out of Africa”
And the words,
“I had a farm in Rionero”
Flit, unbidden to my mind

Day 7

First Impressions of Basilicata

They said the south is different
You won’t like it as well
As Toscana, or Firenze say;
It’s a much poorer region
And the people are unfriendly
No-one speaks English
And the countryside’s just
Not pretty; it’s plain ugly.
They were wrong.