This morning, as a release,
I stowed the whole canvas roof of the boat:
It looked sporty, jaunty
No longer the utility boat
Festive now, for friends were coming:
Companions in the villa in Tuscany,
At pre-theatre dinners, like us
Lovers of theatre onstage and off:
Coming with relatives from England.
I drove the jaunty boat, toured the island,
Chatted, barbequed, finally
Crept off for an hour’s nap,
For friends understand, encourage naps,
Then, after another spectacular
Mauve-golden sunset, drove
Them back in the jaunty open boat
In the warm yawning dusk over the
Calming river to their car.
A success, the visit: a swim,
Two polite teens, one hiding something sad,
A glimpse of a family trying to live
A normal life, and not surprisingly,
Not.
