Venice in Summer
by Paulette Demers Turco

Vivacious Venice, lush with life and light,
where liquid streets reflect the bluest sky
and sleek, black-lacquered gondolas float by—
wide-shouldered gondoliers in black and white
striped shirts pass Doge's Palace—while the bright
alabaster sidewalks gleam, the cry
of pigeons' coos and struts thrill passers-by
near St. Mark's Square. But what will history write?

Shaded by wide-brimmed hats, the varied faces,
not visible across the waterway,
feel the breeze, surrounded by the sea,
view Santa Maria's Duomo. What replaces
this idyllic scene is underway
as Venice sinks—San Marco, memory.



 

Return to: