Ancient Stones and St. Joseph's Cream PuffsSometimes I dream in Italian

Papaveri
The scarlet petals
of Red Poppy flowers
reach towards the sky
in the archeological area
around Teatro Marcello
in downtown Rome.

The Quadriga atop
the Victor Emmanuel Monument
in the background sits high
over Rome's Campidoglio,
the original "Capitol Hill".

Foot path
leading from the Portico of Octavia
down to the last remaining arches
of the Teatro di Marcello.

The Theater of Marcellus was built
under the Roman Emperors
Julius Caesar and Augustus.
The later named it in honor of his nephew Marcellus.

Ancient Corinthian columns
have withstood the ravages of time and man.

These theatre arcades
have seen almost 2000 years of history,
times of peace and prosperity,
and periods of local upheaval and despair,
invasions by barbarians from the North
and threats from the Carthaginian warriors
under Hannibal from the South.

Its walls have been built over again and again,
serving among others as base for a fortress
and a beautiful Renaissance palazzo and
for various apartment buildings.

It seems a miracle
that anything has been left standing.
Rome's archeological areas
have been used for centuries as ready quarry,
where anyone could haul off
the most precious remnants of ancient glory
as if they were common building materials.

Who knows,
the costum of using the open meadows
throughout centuries as cow pastures
may have saved some of these treasures!
Cows at least are not in the habit
of demolishing ancient temples
and whatever they left behind
may have caused the grass to grow faster
and cover the marble witnesses
to human history.

Can you picture a monument
to the cow as patron saviour
of archeologically rich areas?

Oh yes, I hear you!
I apologize,
I got carried away by history.
Please sit down and enjoy a cappuccino at the pleasant
"Antico Caffè del Teatro di Marcello"
where oldfashioned good service
and great coffee wait for you.

Romans celebrate St. Joseph's Day today with special sweets:
I got busy in the kitchen and baked
"Sfinge di San Giuseppe" -
St. Joseph's cream puffs -
for you.
Buon appetito!

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My Rome
Repost from March 2009
Images and Text © by Merisi

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