Sundrenched porticos
brightly painted facades
smiles fixed
for today’s crop
of turistas
Museum-quality
invitation:
look, but don’t touch;
sure, feed the pigeons;
if cameras
fry ozone
it’ll be another
scorcher today
netting over statues
nestled in
rooftop recesses,
acid rain
of bird droppings
etching its own story
peeling to bell tower
chimes
canal waters murky brown
under towering
red and yellow striped
barbershop poles marking
hired gondola stops
vendors hawking
first tourist tread
to final departed
sigh
Had St. Mark and
the Doge
shared front porch
visits from
Adirondack Chairs,
would they have
conjured noisy
gluttonous
masses, jabbering away
in careful isolation from
actual homes
hidden in grey-ambered
monk cloth
cloistered behind
quiet footbridges
(velvet roped)?
Turning up today,
would they beg
for seclusion
sound-proof
windows
trade in
rippled old mosaics
for Pergo plush?
A contest entry
- Quickie - Picture For Your Pens #4 by Ryno.
300 points, ended July 20, 2007, 9 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - 'Images From Around the World' by Cynthia Gaines.
2000 points, ended September 19, 2008, 18 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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I'd like to thank you for taking the time to enter my contest, 'Images From Around the World' with your wonderfully descriptive poetry! It seemed I was actually there in Venice, seeing all of it personally. You paint a great scene!! Judging will be done soon, and I wish the best of luck to you. Thanks again, and have a great day!!! Take care, Cyn 
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This is beautiful. I would love to travel. I would go to Venice! Great write and keep up the awesome work! --Sahlili20
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lovely imagery here of venice. you brought it alive. dont forget the glass blowing factory..i hope you did well..peter
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Not sure if I get the question mark after sigh. But I agree, this poem was some very well phrased, unique descriptions and wonderful imagery. Thanks for the entry.
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Thank you for your comment. I have rearranged the stanzas, and moved the question mark. I believe it all runs better now. Appreciate the pointer!
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Thanks for taking me to Venice! I loved the vivid imagery. I was seeing it all so clearly as I read it. Found myself getting lost in all. I love details you wrote into this poem. They made it all the more real - the beauty and the not so beautiful. Loved it.
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Thank you for your comment and clappies!
It is beautiful, but also display. I write poetry to communicate. I like visiting to learn about the people of a place, and what their lives are like.
I felt like everything visible to the tourists was pre-prepared, a bit like going to Italy, to an Italian restaurant, and getting a microwaved frozen pasta dinner... I didn't feel like I really got to meet and visit with "real people" there. One woman (a resident) at a gelati counter was very kind, but also too busy to visit more than briefly.
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