It canopies vineyards and olive groves, this breadth of sky
stretched from the Adriatic to Apennine Mountains
tainted with faintest evening pink, sunset colors.
Everything about this Italian landscape colors
my writing these days, instructs me: specific sky,
named sea, these particular mountains
that I see from my small balcony, Majella Mountains,
part of the Apennine's, darkening as twilight colors
of blue washed with pink change minute by minute this Abruzzo sky.
This strict instruction colors how I apprehend the sky over us all, the mountains we all climb.
This Tritina, a form described last week over at dVerse Poets Pub and offered tonight on Open Link night, came from a conversation with Erin from in search of white space about the importance of naming, and from today's view from my balcony (photo above) in my little corner of the world.
Ah, I do think it is so true that landscape can color writing; and what a beautiful landscape you have to color it! Nice tritina. (I like the form too.)
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to be inspired but it's fascinating just what the inspiration is.
Deleteoh nice...love the colors...took me back to my tuscany vacation last year..each country seems to have its very own specific sky colors..inspiring....and with our eyes focused on the beauty makes it easier to climb those mountains as well..
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to call it beautiful (which it is) but to describe it more exactly and see where it took me, which of course was from the particular to the universal.
DeleteNice use of the form--the last line especially which I think is really hard--the meaning switch on colors is excellent. And the poem itself is a visual delight.
ReplyDeleteThanks. The last line was hard and I reworked it many times but then it struck me that this process, this necessity of naming affects how I hear/ apprehend/ understand what I see.
DeleteVery nice! Love the picture, too. You must be so happy to live in such a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteI'm a happy woman. I love my life.
Deleteso this is your view...how beautiful...i love the mountains persoanlly...the sky is so pretty as well...the line my writing is informing me struck me...mine does often....smiles.
ReplyDeleteThis is my view straight ahead, toward the right is the header view, to the left is the Adriatic view. I can't lose! My writing and conversations with other writers. It's why I love this forum. Thanks for hosting it.
DeleteBeautiful tritina! And an exact capture of the Tuscan sky. Not enough time in that part of Italy - but a night eating out just at sunset in Florence will be a vivid memory forever!
ReplyDeleteAbruzzo is a couple of Provinces over from Tuscany stretching from the mountains to the Adriatic Sea. It has four large National Parks and is unique because of the varied terrain. Florence is fabulous!
DeleteAnd a beautiful little corner of hte world it is, too. Lovely piece, too. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lou.
DeletePretty magnificent (and yet human) landscape. Beautiful poem. You are very adventurous! k.
ReplyDeleteWhen my grandson was a toddler he used to start the day by saying: "Let's go have an adventure!" Seems like a good way to live.
DeleteYour words create a wonderfully painted picture!
ReplyDeleteSo nice. I can relate to being inspired by a sky view and the stillness of mountains. Hope we all climb ours in the best of ways. Enjoyed reading this, and the photo is awesome.
ReplyDeleteThey do inspire. I enjoy hiking in those mountains as well as looking at them.
DeleteHow could such a view not color your writing? You embrace that palette and work word wonders with it, Mary. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patti. I was actually wondering what to write about and went out on the balcony to this. Wow.
DeleteAbsolutely lovely and colorful..... I apologize for being so ignorant. Are you Italian? If so, then how did you possibly master this language so well? I would consider this a masterpiece if it came from poets I know that have English as their first language..... But coming freom an Italian it must be nothing less than an absolute phenomenon.... Very, very good writing here Mary..... - John Allen Richter
ReplyDeleteYou're not ignorant, just new to this blog. No, I'm American but have been living in Italy for 3 1/2 years since I retired. My Honey still works part time in various countries in Europe so we thought we should live here and explore this country and continent. We're enjoying that process immensely.
DeleteGorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAnd how are your new digs, Lauren?
DeleteI do think the sky in Europe is closer to the earth, therefore making us closer to heaven...great job with the tritina!
ReplyDeleteI like that thought!
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