Fontana de Trevi
Nestled within a network of narrow streets,
It suddenly reveals itself!
To the newcomer, on turning the corner,
Any corner,
It appears unexpectedly!
Colossal for a small piazza,
Much like a large TV screen would seem, too big for a small room!
It has a presence,
And attracts the crowds , demanding their attention!
It is said to bring luck,
Or so the legend goes.
People have always gathered here
As I have on many times before
As a child,
Hand in hand with my mother
Or years later keeping a watchful eye on my children,
Always carrying a coin to toss in,
As tradition would have it!!
We did it for luck and good fortune,
We did it for fun!
Then, we sat at the edge of the fountain,
Our bottoms wet and stained from the water that splashed every time a coin was tossed in,
But it was worth it!
We all posed for the photograph
Ready for the memories
Displayed in our family album
My last recollection from Roma duemilatredici, 2013.
Twelve years later I’m here again.
Now, fences from the recent restoration still stand, keeping me at a distance!
This time, there’s no one to take my hand.
I find myself caught in a crowd.
In front of me a woman poses for her picture,
Her hair perfectly in place,
Lipstick freshly applied,
She’s poised and ready.
Behind me someone shouts
Forte! Forte!
Gira! Gira!
She tosses a coin!
But it lands on the parapet,
Further from Oceanus
Still posed at the helm!
I step away,
And come face to face with a bent-over beggar, shoeless, holding out her paper cup.
She’d rather the coins fall to her instead.
I gesture, I carry no cash,
And walk on by.
January 2025
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