Venice

Last Wednesday on the Piazza

Near San Marco's trecento Duomo

I observed una grassa ragazza

With a thin middle Western uomo.

He was swatting a piccola mosca,

She was eating a chocolate gelato,

While an orchestra played (from La Tosca)

A flat violin obbligato.

They stared at a dusty piccione,

They spoke not a single parola,

She ordered some Te con Limone

He ordered an iced Coca Cola.

And while the tramanto del sole

Set fire to the Grande Canale

She scribbled haphazard parole

On glazed cartoline postale.