To leap off my last post, this is another poem I wrote while in Italy. This one was at a villa in Naples overlooking Pompeii. It was owned by a wealthy family who were affected by the eruption even though they were a significant distance from Vesuvius. Now it is a historic estate that can be wandered about in and explored. We spent more than an hour sitting and taking in one of the most beautiful views of Pompeii and one of the most gorgeous ancient villas. When I was there I simply took out my notebook and wrote. This is the product of that and I hope you enjoy.

 

Stabiae

 

The cloud shadows the mountain.

Dried clothes bleaching.

The peeling greenery of the people

So much paler than the ground.

 

One wonders if they

Felt like this too.

Noise and calm,

Pastel and bright,

Overseeing yet watched.

 

Birds making not music,

But conversation.

The wind a simple comfort.

One thought on “Stabiae: A.D. May 2, 2019”

  1. This is so pretty Eleanor! I love the description and imagery, especially the last stanza.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *