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.
...

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.
...

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
...

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