Carnival in Venice

Cherry

By luigi_pagano

Sat, 05 Jun 2021
  • 795 reads
4 comments
 

 

The place had been
An oasis of tranquillity,
The only sound
The soothing chant
Of monks in saffron robes,
Until the revels started.
The City opened its doors
From St. Mark's to the ghetto
To a motley crew resembling
A tableau by Canaletto.
 
They are here to conceal
Their true identity
Wearing a golden mask
As if it were a pseudonym.
They adopt various disguises:
Harlequin or Columbine;
A Laughing Cavalier;
A Dancing Queen; a faerie.
A Spanish gypsy,
Whose Romany blood
Is reflected
In her refulgent cheeks.
 
A sad poppet, by the name of Juliet,
Forsaken by her handsome soul mate,
Sits unsteadily on the parapet
Of a bridge.
- She had wished to be dead,
To chuck herself in the lagoon -
She weighed the pros and cons
And then decided
To choose life instead.
 
An old man,
A shadow of his former self,
Long past the first flush
Of youth, ogles his young quarry
And makes her blush.
She's baffled by the intensity of his stare
Until the penny drops
- And feels a proper Charlie.
 
I watch from behind the shutters
Of my balcony as the din subsides
And the crowd disperses
At the onset of dawn.
I cannot join the rowdy merrymaking
For I do not see life
Through rose-tinted glasses anymore
But through a glass darkly.
I am haunted by the ghost of my past
And can only find solace
In silent memories.
 
 
 
© Luigi Pagano
 

From my collection "Idle Thoughts"

 
Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Quite a change at the end. 'Rose-tinted' glasses resembling the concealment of masks somehow. Seem to be a mixture of regrets and more happy memories., and one left hoping he can find relief and forgiveness for the former. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A mask hides the identity and preserves the anonymity of the wearer just like a pseudonym does for an author who does not want to disclose personal details.
At carnival's time, the jollity of the occasion draws a veil over the reality of life with its medley of happiness and misery.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Missed this when you posted it, but very glad I found it eventually. What a clever use of the IP - well done!

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

So glad that you found it, Claudine. I very much value your opinion and your kind feedback for which I thank you.

Luigi x