vela di sposa
dove il nero cratere
che partori la bianca
montagna
il ghiacciaio che la scolpi.
l'argento dei fiumi
che la imprigionarono.
millenni oscuri ammanta
il muschio della foresta.
soli due alberi
stretti in tenero abbraccio.
bianca cascata
sull'alto dirupo
e velo di sposa
mosso da giovani venti.
bridal veil
where is the black crater
that gave birth to the white
mountain,
the glacier that carved it,
the silver of the rivers
that imprisoned it?
forest moss cloaks
the dark millennia.
only two trees
bound in a tender embrace.
with cascade
on the high precipice
is a bridal veil
moved by young winds.
- romano romoli
poet. beautiful man. tender hearted. gracefully aged. wealth of knowledge. full of life. italian hospitality.
yesterday jacqueline, lauren, natalie, sarah, and i wandered the streets of florence looking for a shop that might sell yarn. the girls wanted me to teach them how to crochet, a difficult endeavor in a city lacking hobby and craft shops. we happened upon casa dei tessuti, a fourth generation family owned fabric shop near the palazzo republico that supplies fabric for many famous italian designers, royal families, and even some american celebrities like Cher, naturally. before we could even pile into the store romano welcomed us with a beautifully wrinkled smile and asked us if we were from the uk. we answered that we were americans and he instantly grew excited and boasted that his brother (pictured below with romano) married a girl from texas. after discovering that we were not interested in purchasing any fabric, romano asked if we were students, then instantly launched into a discussion on the history of florence, and most importantly to him, the history of italian fashion.
we talked for a little over an hour about history and museums to visit, as well as the meanings behind important monuments in the city, while romano showed pictures of the first florentine fashion show, newspaper clippings, old looms and sewing machines, and pictures of florence's first designer. then romano pulled out books of letters, pictures, and notes that he had compiled from over the years. as we poured over these letters written from people all over the world and in all different languages romano would intricately describe the memories of each person that corresponded to the letters so kindly written to this man. each letter had its own story, and i felt myself becoming more intertwined with the heart of this old man as he shared his life with us. as we read the letters, romano brought out a small envelope with two pictures and a small paper. the pictures were of a beautiful woman in her wedding dress, made of material bought from romano. on the small paper was a poem that romano had written for her during her wedding preparations, which she included in her wedding program (poem mentioned above). beautiful. this man is an absolutely beautiful soul.
after sharing these letters and his poetry with us, he asked if we would in turn write a letter to him. and so i wrote, speaking for all of us. i wasn't sure what exactly to say at first. i just knew that i had to express to this man how much his kindness meant to me, and how his friendship is a gift i will never forget.
as i wrote he studied our faces. and searched. he searched for the perfect fabric to compliment our delicate faces. the pigment of our skin. the shades of light reflected in our hair. the colors that graced our eyes. and one by one he brought out gorgeous silks of various colors and draped them around us as if we were princesses. he adorned us with these soft, luxurious cloths, stood back, and admired his work with an expression of satisfaction and joy. and, we could not be more delighted. as we prepared to leave after spending over two hours with this sweet man, he read the letter i had written from us. as he stumbled over some of the words and paused to reflect on the meaning of the intricate weaving of letters, taking in the significance of each phrase, i looked around. for some reason i felt compelled to cry. and the faces of my friends communicated similar feelings. this man took us, five young, ignorant girls from america, under his wing. in a matter of two hours he transformed from a kind old man to a sort of grandfather figure. gentle, tender spirit. initiating me into this new home.
sisma dell'aquila
un giorno
tu desti la vita
a quel figlio deletto
che stanotte
ti ha restituito quel dono
salvandoti da terremoto.
non piangere sulle rovine
della tua casa.
un giorno un mendicante
mi disse, recorda:
la vera tua casa e il tuo corpo
prima che dio lo raccolga.
eagle earthquake
one day
you gave life to a son
that tonight returned
that gift to you
saving you from
the earthquake.
do not cry over the
ruins of your home.
one day a beggar
said to me, remember:
your true home is your body,
until god returns to collect it.
- romano romoli
(written to a dear friend after her son saved her and himself from an earthquake that devastated their home and city)
the romoli brothers (romano on the left)
romano reading our letter
*all photos taken by my lovely friend, the fabulous photographer, jacqueline cassard :)
beautiful! i love humble old men! haha this is precious!:)
ReplyDelete