Strange Comfort
We feel rapture in the rays
of the first summer sun, melting
winter’s beating – it nearly
did us in. Our thawed hearts
stretch in the warm glow; golden
bliss on our bare skin. On our backs,
we touch the bloomed
snapdragons. We want to kiss
the sweet cheek
of the strange comfort
above us
swirling and soft
in the cerulean sky.
La Notte
We meet at a corner cafe, sipping
cappuccinos. He tells me parli
bene l’italiano. I tell him
I’ve been practicing for years.
He doesn’t know he’s the reason
I’ve run away to this village
by the sea. That I’ve seen his
movies. To my shock he wants
to stop making films, become
an oil painter. I stare at the small
mole beneath his mouth, a mark
of beauty. I wonder what color
he sees surrounding me as the day
fades and the light of dusk
kisses our foreheads. Later, under stars,
he pulls me to him, tells me he dreams
he was once Anteros, the Italian God
of passion and love. I say lo sei ancora.
He vows to take me to Verona
in the morning, because he wants us
to reach the edge of the Adige River –
a place for cinematic love to be
declared and buried. But first, we burn
bright through night. Knowing tomorrow
the water will wash us clean.
Wren Valentino is an author, poet, and screenwriter. He writes in multiple genres, primarily contemporary romance and horror. His literary work has been featured in Atomic Flyswatter, Halfway Down the Stairs, Wicked Gay Ways, and the My Front Door series from Silver Birch Press. Wren earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. Wren is a member of Romance Writers of America. Wren loves film noir, 80’s slasher movies, Julie London records, all things Tiki, and everything written by Jane Austen. Visit Wren’s website www.wrenvalentino.com or follow Wren on social media Facebook: WrenValentino12
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