Thanks to Rat’s Ass Review, an online literary collective, for publishing the following poem in their Love & Ensuing Madness collection.
A Girl in Venice
—April 1980
Flocks of pigeons, people in a plaza
..camera shutters snapping souvenirs
.
You step into my long-lens view
..focused face, heap of hair
..
Then Ciao, Arrivederci…
..gone before I lift my eyes
.
Back home, I pin your sudden grin
..to boarded cork above my bed
.
Tell friends the story of your glance
..watch them bend with envy at your smile
.
Today, on streets in San Francisco
..I searched for eyes to dance with mine
.
Tonight, alone, our momentary spring
..blossoms on my tablet screen
.