Allesandra Patti Poems

Leonardo deified the Medici of Florence;
Ever the optimist, he defied them constantly,
Overwhelming them with his consummate art.
Naturally, they repaid him with disdain;
...

At the flower market
I found spice, holy water,
cobblestoned obsidian dreams,
but no flowers.
...

I grieve that I may be the first to die,
To leave you here alone to see
The break of day, the setting of the sun.
...

We’ll never know who
the culprit was.

The tamburo
...

I saw you walking in the park today
And all at once my world came tumbling down.
You looked as though you had not aged a day,
Although I noticed just the slightest frown
...

I
My father spoke of eating rats
to stay alive in World War I
as he lay in bloodied fields
...

Summer block parties, mama and papa
kicking up their heels to the tarantella-
such happy toe tapping. Signoras crowding in,
twirling their babushkas, and me so proud.
...

Intent on her task, she gazes
at the earth, stooping.
Raking parched leaves, she scoops
them up with gloved hands,
...