Italian Poppy

by Lauraine Alberetti Lombara

The red poppy beckons me back to Italy,

Crimson fields carpeting the river by the mill.

The flower of sleep and forgetfulness

Causes me to remember…

Warm air, gentle breezes, luminous light, fleeting shadows.

Colors of my being: sienna, ochre, burnt umber.

Tiles and facades, ancient ruins,

Hillsides and valley, plowed earth,

Azure sky and verdant grass-

Counterpoints to the terra cotta hues.

I remain in the country and the country remains in me,

Coloring my days and nights.