Friday, July 3, 2009

Poetry Friday: The Glorio of Rome

Statue of Babuino w/Bird



The Glorio of Rome

Because the Pincio is not the Pinch-ee-o
but is the Peen-cho, and because our mouths
must make that e then o, we sound like small rondini
peeping, we sound like piccolo uccelli, see?
Noi amiamo - si, we love - those long-voweled birdy-o's
in their umbrella pines, they way they make us crazy,
make us weep above the plaza of the still-here Roman popolo,
and make us want to swoop from Via Veneto
right down to Rick's Place in the crumbling Pio
chirping Peep, peep, peep, Bernini-o!

I wrote that when I was over in Rome as a graduate student.My good friend, the poet Rebecca Hoogs, is over in Rome right now as Co-Director (along with poet Johnny Horton) of the University of Washington's Creative Writing/Rome Program for the summer. She's sending wonderful photos back via Facebook. Here is one that captures the extraordinary blue of a Roman sky. I've never seen this shade of blue in the sky in any other part of the world.



Rome is definitely a city for poets. Voglio andare a bella Roma ora!! (Grande sospiro....)
Before you head off to more of Poetry Friday, here are two more photos Rebecca sent:

A dry goods store, probably near the Campo de Fiori.
What happens to colors in Rome - is it the light?


Last but not least, Johnny eating gelato and looking much more severe than he really is:

Poetry Friday today is being hosted by Tabatha Yeatts over at
The Opposite of Indifference.

Happy 4th of July tomorrow!

8 comments:

  1. I have so enjoyed reading your poem and seeing the photos - yes, it is definitely the light!

    Thank you for bringing lots of memories flooding back - now I need to get back on with my research into 19th century Rome!

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  2. Julie, I just love the way you play with words and sounds. Your poems remind me of the joy of a kid who has discovered playing in the sprinkler on a hot August day. Thanks for sharing this!

    Favorite part:

    we sound like small rondini
    peeping, we sound like piccolo uccelli, see?

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  3. Beautiful sky, beautiful colors, fun play with English and Italian!

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  4. As Ogden Nash would say, Realio trulio, your wordlplay is delightful.
    Pat

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  5. Julie, Julie, Julie. . .all this talk of Rome reminds me a a certain novel I firmly believe someone should write. . .

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  6. Kirby, if I ever write that book, I'm going to have to dedicate it to you for keeping me on track!

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  7. I've been scrolling through your VCFA updates . . . nice work! I couldn't get it together to post during res.

    But what made me comment is that I took one look at that photo at the top of this post and thought . . . Carol! I know it's just that I have VCFA on the brain, but it does bear a resemblance, yes?

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