“Today our prompt (optional, of course) is another oldie-but-goodie: a poem based on a news article.”
I searched the news all day yesterday and sadly other than Corona I couldn’t find any. So I finally did write a poem which is the result of Corona. It breaks my heart that 5 years’ ago, exactly on this day, we were there and the town was thriving with life
Coronavirus has transformed Italy’s Amalfi Coast from a tourist hotspot to a virtual ghost town (ABC news dated 12th March)
The coast of Amalfi lies deserted-
Positano, Ravello, Vettica Maggiore*
The terraced gardens look forlorn
As do the corked bottles of limoncello**
Standing on the restaurant window shelves
That yellow liqueur made of sfusato amalfitano***
no longer holds a spell-
The streets of Amalfi are empty
Their sorbet-colored homes standing precariously
On sea-side cliffs look on unhappily
At the abandoned beach of Fornillo****
Gone are the umbrellas and Mr. Ripley inspired bikinis
uomini Italini disoccupati***** now bathe in the sun
No muse for the painter’s brush and the writer’s pen
Their blank bambagina****** tells the story-
Of the ghost-town of Amalfi
where once they came searching- ‘la dolce vita’*******
*Positano, Ravello, Vettica Magiorre – towns along the Amalfi coast
**limoncello – drink made of lemon and vodka
***sfusato amafino – lemons
****Fornillo – a beach in Positano
******uomini Italiani disoccupate – unemployed Italian men
*****bambagina – hand-made paper
******la dolce vita – the sweet life
P.C. From the News
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Not a proper post to ask how are you and do you remember me?
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Ofcourse I do. Was wondering where you were this year.
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Am here… actually participating from cell phone…my laptop charger got fried on the first day of the lockdown…so missing number of posts…I was also wondering whether you have been participating or not?
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Oops! That’s terrible. But it’s good you’re able to write still. Thank God for mobiles! Glad to meet here again 🙂
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Yeah…
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This is sad but true. On the bright side, though, everything ends sometime and this will too. During times of adversity, mankind makes great leaps forward in writing and technology. Think of the books about war experiences and things like the radar that were invented during war times.
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Yes…who knew though we’d see something like this. Your words are so encouraging Robbie. I’ll hold on to them.
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