The Pope's Beef Benedict
Hiding in my luggage are two
bottles of Merlot, Swiss Chocolate
and a Pinocchio Marionette
debating the wisdom of traveling
to distant lands where one finds
such mysteries
and where one can dine on the Pope's Beef
Benedict with its juxtaposition
of seared meat and raw taste,
which I ate for supper, along with a red wine
so full and voluptuous, like the women of Rome
who bare their bosoms to the sun,
who sing to the angels and plant their pomegranates
of spring in hopes of a good harvest.
Let us remember their sacrifice.
Let us sent our gratitude skyward to a God
who would provide such riches and Thanks
be to God that we can view the road our ancestors
traveled, learn from their journey, and build on
the wisdom unearthed.
by Annette Gagliardi
Published in Mediterranean Poetry, Spring 2022 at Odyssey. pm