Il mito di una statua da giardino presso il Golfo di Napoli
Ballad Written By: Catullus Propertius
--------------------------------------------
The stoic stance
she stands
in the gardens of
Dorking
a statue carved to impress
her beauty the poet
writers mystery
a story of love and regret
a sexton the sailor carry's
to the shore she bathe
beneath the sun
he wishes for the sweetness
of oranges
for which til then
he never had none.
Arancia Rossa di Sicilia
come back to Surrentio
the mermaid sings her song
Carnival of Ivrea
she greets men
the charm of a Meridians voice
Napulitano Ballads and songs
the sweetness of the
Napulitano Orange
Sweet the nights of
natural pool of
Bagni della Regina
She swam in the waters there
and became a statue
in the garden that sings
No other city is more unique
than Napoli; around corners,
you'll find surprises that intrigue
eyes staring at monuments
that have some mystique powers!
And walking through the very narrow and noisy streets
of various sounds: you'll feel a drop of casual water
from the clotheslines above...ah, those scented sheets
waving while people eat treats and breathe the spring air
and listen to musicians improvising chords on their guitar!
Come to the city where the scent of oven-baked
pizza lures: live the simple life of the Neapolitans...
folks who sing classical songs that make everyone glad;
even Venice cannot compare to the enthusiasm and thrills
of the locals while flowers are offered by generous hands!
If I ever did
2004 2007 2013
Believe in this team
Can we control ourselves
And let them play up
To potential
A rallying cry
Goes out
Above the green monster
As Napoli is a hero
Not just to me
Capri
roofless cubes, spidery with wire,
cakes of azure and enzian;
above at the Villa San Michele
Rilke smiles down at the broken beaches,
at coves of defiant waves, compacted sea
Pompeii
a chessboard of honest stones
open to a sky of hushed shouts;
we huddle in a boned frame
of another life, a stopped day
Napoli
warm and secret, olive-eyed
an infinite beauty makes a new face
as we gaze ape-like from our bus;
an act of moment
I could be where the palm trees sway in a tropical breeze,
The pace is slow, the air is warm, and I can take my ease.
Drinking chilled coconut from the shell, a blue ocean view,
But, the only place I want to be, is right here with you.
I could be way up high, in a distant land, a Himalayan retreat,
Watching the sunset over Everest, wood fireplace, effusing heat.
Relaxing in the whirlpool, the steam rises, as I sip a hot brew.
But, the only place I want to be, is right here with you.
I could be enthralled as Parana journeys to it's end, at the falls,
200 rivers, cascading in unison, as I meditate struck in awe.
I could be contemplating, the transcendent beauty of Iguazu,
But, the only place I want to be, is right here with you.
I could be in Sorrento, bay of Napoli, not far from Capri,
watching cruise ships floating by, observing life so carefree.
From the marina, I marvel at the houses built into cliffs,
I daydream of what it could be like, to live like this.
But, of all the places I could go, and the things that I could do,
The only place I want to be...is right here with you.
John Derek Hamilton November 10, 2015
"A Napoli anche l'asse mediano ha la sua poesia." - Rosano Verde
I have composed a poem based on the above Italian sentence.
IN NAPLES
In Naples, even the median axis has his poem,
and the road goes in a straight line up the centre...
The sky awaits to meet it in the distance.
In Naples, you will search the median axis,
and when you have found it, you will laugh out loud
for the sky will greet the road.
For too long they have been separated
but the sky has always been attracted -
fascinated by the axis on your own sweet road.
----------------------------------------------------------
8/22/2015
Last year I wrote of a Red Sox team
The fans did not exactly scream
They could not swing, field or hit
Last place was theirs, that was it.
But John Henry said ENOUGH of that
I will not let this team go splat
So he fired a guy named Bobby V
And From The Jays did Farrell bring.
He traded away the vaunted three guys
To Gonzo, Beckett and Crawford bye bye!
He said the losing days are through
Saved a quarter billion dollars too.
The off season came on us soon
He got Napoli, Dempster and Victorino too.
Though no one gave the team a chance
The season came and they took off fast.
They started winning many games
And found themselves in first place.
In the dust they left yanks, birds and jays.
Kept winning through the summer days.
Now the season is poised to end
The team is looking great again
From worst to first, oh what a season
Team spirit and drive is the reason.
The playoffs loom, the team looks ready
Hitting and pitching very steady.
Fresh off a recent Yankees sweep.
This team looks like it can't be beat
To Fenway do the playoffs come
They'll take on all comers, everyone
For when all the opponents have been beaten
We'll win the Series, Oh what a season!!
Jazz & Blues music is a delight to every soul seeking a ray of moonlight,
even Madonna and Beyonce wear the kind of jazzy clothes
that attract handsome guys on city streets and in fancy clubs...
hear those loud saxophones that make everyone dream at night!
Jazz & Blues music is very popular in sunny Napoli...
the beautiful city on the azure and peaceful bay;
listen to the song, " Naples is..." sung by Pino Daniele: it's the spirit
of a-once-suppressed people, now shrugging off prejudice and doubt!
And New Orleans, once devastated by Katrina still echoes
with the sounds of Jazz & Blues despite it's many visible woes;
the twin cities embrace the same music to uplift them in very tough days...
while hoping for a better and brighter tomorrow that will offer many joys!
Roam the noisy and narrow streets of beautiful Napoli on any day,
and over a popular cafe hangs the comical Pulcinella's image;
many tourists aren't familiar with this guy dressed in white!
Why does he say," The best Baba al Rum is made here! "
The bartender puts on a huge smile when customers walk in.
Controversially, the infuriated French would claim, " We invented it! "
Then Pulcinella would reply with a delirious laughter,
" It was pretty good then, but not as tasty as it is today! "
*Baba al Rum is a Neapolitan dessert
Revolution
I heard the sobs it came from under a bridge of a stream, and
found a rejected prince with torn uniform crying, the country
he had given duty to, opening supermarkets, had gone republic
and overnight he had to leave the castle, his toys, and his polo
horses and charmed life. I commiserated with him asked what
had happened to his horses. “They were made into salami and
sold cheaply to the poor people of Napoli.”
This made me angry and almost a monarchist, it is not right to
take revenge for years of inequality on horses. I took the prince
home, gave him a shower, he wanted me to scrub his back but
I said as he was a commoner now he had to do that himself.
It took a bit of time to teach him how to be working class saying
“****” and “bloody” every so often... Being the new elite, there
always has to be one, I got him a job as a bus driver...and he is
still driving the bus between Liverpool and Garston, calls it a royal
duty and who am I to argue? I live in his castle.
Napoli frozen
Oh, al lampone sweetness!
Three divine colors
A taste of Roman
Desert of the Godly sons
This box is for me...
for Poet Destroyer's Contest: "Neapolitan Ice Cream"
'Tis well-known that any pasta concoction will always me appease,
But I reckon my all-time favorite is plain old macaroni and cheese!
Ah! That simple but hardy fare sets my old taste buds a-twitchin',
When my spouse announces, "Honey, supper's ready!" from the kitchen!
As far as I know Mr. Kraft invented this delectable mixture,
That has over the years become a staple American fixture.
'Tis easy to prepare - on the box is the simple instruction,
And you won't clutter up the kitchen making a big production!
I've sampled exotic pasta dishes in romantic Roma and old Napoli,
Such as fusilli bucati, vermicelli, lasagne, fettuccine and ravioli.
They were scrumptious but if ever my palate you want to tease,
I'd prefer a hefty helping of plain old macaroni and cheese!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 7 in Linda's "Pasta Paradise" Contest - August 2010
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.