A Cup of Coffee and Few Kind Words
I sat with you at a table in Capoliveri
The poet with a beard, walked slowly up the cobblestone path
He carried a tattered black case, a paint brush and a cup
He came towards me and offered me a stack of paintings
He smiled and turned away
I looked upon the sketches in awe
Streets and lines fading in the distance
The painter sat quietly at a table and pulled out a blank canvas
He dipped his brush into the cup
A cup, half-full of left-over crema and dark espresso
He swirled the ochre liquid onto the white canvas
He outlined a building and sketched a checkered tablecloth
The shutters of the window opened wide to the summer air
A sign on a wall points to a direction – “Il Chiasso” 30mt.
I waited in anticipation
The painter had nearly finished
But, one last touch before he signed his name
« Ci elieto,nei nostril silenzi,la luce del cuore «
or
“Being quiet and still with oneself brings light to the heart”
(For someone special, who brings light to my heart, on his Birthday)
© 2013 Ann Ivy Male
Intriguing!
Yes indeed, I’ll tell you the story behind the poem the next time I see you 🙂