Part Two: Lineage of Water and Fire
I fell for you
I fell for you instantly
Not just a schoolgirl crush
Venice, you swooped in,
a sea soul bird of pink light
Entering my heart without a second thought
You are like that
knowing most of us will fall for you
I find no shame in my adoration
Your colors of watermelon crush and ivory lady lace
and blue aqua veils and amber peach moon walls
Your textures from glass gleaming and iron glinting
Your water veins of life living 900 years and more
Your children calling from the boats to their mothers
at the local stands selling fruits and chips and cigarettes
spritzes for 2 euros and red plastic chairs
group karaoke ringing through the full moon light night
late night walks and dinners with dear friends
we didn’t know were coming to join us here in love-land
Italy becomes you, but you are your own world
and you have always known this
and said so at every turn of your brush
and anvil and crucible and boat making hand
We lived for a week next to Tintoretto’s studio
in the Fondamenta dei Mori
and ate ink squid pasta with garlic right next door
and I listened for his footsteps across the Madonna dell’ Orto
Of course we rode in your gondola with Lucca,
and the boat of his father before him and his before him
I napped on my lover’s blue light shirt dreaming
as Lucca rowed and told your story in melodic tones
I saw art – more than I have ever seen or felt
in one place at one time and I thank you for this reality
of beauty which is your creative fire – art is real here
I rode boats every day – your water on my skin
my face turning golden in hot wind
your linen dresses stuck to my thighs in the heat
Madonnas gazing powerfully from niches and building
reminding me She is everywhere I am – She is
I saw the red threaded boats with keys at
La Biennale – the one Sue told me I had to visit
I rowed with her through every canal you have
as she pointed things out to me I couldn’t see without her
Of course we saw all that one could and should see
Saint Marks and the Palace of the Doge and the museums
and little white bread sandwiches with salmon at Florentines
and Peach Bellini’s with Hemmingway at Harrys and
champagne and oysters at the Gritti Palace
during a storm of thunder and rain, we swooned
We lived in your neighborhood
away from the crowds and the louds
our cafe cremes were shared quietly and uneventfully
over little white fish crostinis and holding hands
beside your canals carrying your generations
raised on the waterways with wild ways
water boys and water girls growing up
with no cars but boats for dates
I don’t know how I can do you justice in any
writing such as this so forgive me my inadequacy
Suffice to say this
I fell for you
and while you wouldn’t be one to admit it
I believe you had been waiting for me,
for us, young lovers to come celebrate
our one year anniversary in your company
He wanted me to see you
Knew what would happen
Watched as my laughter and tears
rang out our third story window
becoming a part of you
as you have become a part of me
Venezia
The lineage of your beauty and creativity
lives on in me, every so gratefully
~ Shiloh Sophia
p.s. see you soon xoxo
